Why did the Pope dress up as Santa? , page 1

BBC News
Thursday, 22 December 2005, 05:07 GMT

'Santa Pope' woos Vatican crowds

Pope Benedict XVI appears to be getting into a different kind of Christmas spirit, donning a Santa-style hat for his weekly appearance at the Vatican.
At a chilly St Peter's Square, the Pope draped a red cloak over his shoulders and covered his head with a red velvet hat lined with white fur.

Is it because...

A) He is an imposter?

B) He had too much to drink at the annual Vatican Christmas party?

C) He did not recieve a gift for the Vatican's "Secret Santa"?

D) Rudolf took a detour and abandoned him?

E) Because Santa is an anagram for Satan?

F) Because he really is a dark Sith Lord who presides over an evil empire?

G) He's a reptilian shape shifter?

H) He's just an old man horsing around, trying to have some good 'ol fashion fun and enjoyment, to make up for a rather restricted childhood?

##SNIPPED##

J) He is trying to resurrect the spirit of the last Pope?

What do you think?

And what do you suppose he might be thinking in this photo?
[please quote photo and add your own caption, and please, keep it clean and relatively civilized, thanks.]

Best Regards,

Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
North Pole
December 10th, 2011

reply to post by NewAgeMan

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A picture from 6 years ago with no link? No idea which day the picture was taken?

All right, let me offer a possibility. The feast day for St. Nicholas is December 6. Perhaps the BBC took the photo then and held it until it was closer to Christmas.

Can you give me any more to go on?

reply to post by charles1952

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Not really, all we have to go on at this point is

Pope dressed as Santa, 2005.

Oh sorry, the link, and the rest of the story from the BBC article, forgive me.

At a chilly St Peter's Square, the Pope draped a red cloak over his shoulders and covered his head with a red velvet hat lined with white fur.

Vatican officials said the hat, known as a camauro, has been part of the papal wardrobe since the 12th century.

But it has not been worn in public since the death of John XXIII in 1963.
Riding the popemobile and waving to crowds, the 78-year-old pontiff smiled as he was cheered into the square.

Follower of fashion

Although missing Father Christmas' trademark white furry bobble, the pope's timely discovery of the long-forgotten camauro seemed as much a nod to the season as to the chilly weather.

The traditional Santa Claus figure is based on Saint Nicholas - a bishop in fourth century Lycia, now part of modern Turkey.

Ordinarily, the pope covers his head with a more traditional white skullcap, which he donned instead of the camauro by the time he reached his podium in the square.

Benedict, who was elected pope in April after the death of John Paul II, has already made a sartorial mark in the Holy See.

He is reported to favour medieval-style red slippers over more practical shoes while padding around his Vatican apartments.

Fashion-watchers have also reported spotting the pope wearing Gucci sunglasses and Prada shoes in recent months.

link: news.bbc.co.uk...

So it's a get up that Pope's have been wearing since the 12th century, and "it has not been worn in public since the death of John XXIII in 1963."

Santa Popes..

It's an intriguing riddle I think perhaps worth investigating, and I intend no offence here to Catholics with this thread. Just ask'n..

Regards,

NAM

reply to post by NewAgeMan

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"Forget screwing the little kiddies bodies, now lets screw with their minds. Santa-Pope, mwahahaha."

reply to post by NewAgeMan

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But he's not dressed as Santa. lol It's a hat that has been worn by previous popes for quite a long time.

The "tie" looks a lil candy cane'ish, but still not an uncommon garb for a pope. I'm sure the pope can celebrate Christmas like any other chatholic.

Since nobody's said it yet, looks a lot like the Grinch who stole christmas

www.theylookalike.com...


Or bad santa:

Well, Saint Nicholas was a bishop, as is the pope. That style of hat has a long tradition for winter wear and has been worn by clergy for thousands of years. It's called a camauro. He wore it 3 years ago, too, and if I recall lots of protestants and atheists bashed him for it then, too. People seem to forget Santa Claus was a real guy, not the magical, mythical old elf he is portrayed as today, and there are traditions that go back further than their fifteen-year-old memories.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by theRhenn

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Are you saying it has no reference to Santa at all? Hmmph, I don't know.. I think it has something to do with Santa, the white bearded, jolly old man who is said to live at the north pole, that's how it was presented and recieved by the people.

Like I said, maybe it's just an old man trying to have some well-earned fun, but these things are staged and therefore are allegorical and point to a deeper meaning and significance.

reply to post by Misterlondon

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i so agree, creepy !!

Originally posted by theRhenn
reply to post by NewAgeMan

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But he's not dressed as Santa. lol It's a hat that has been worn by previous popes for quite a long time.

The "tie" looks a lil candy cane'ish, but still not an uncommon garb for a pope. I'm sure the pope can celebrate Christmas like any other chatholic.

Let me rephrase then. Why is Santa dressed like the Pope? Is it a symbol, the red and white, for the resurrection?

I understand the significance of the candy cane, as the shepherds staff, the red and white stripes representing the stripes of Christ incurred during his ordeal, by which according to Isaiah we are healed.

What does it mean, is what I'm asking here, that's all, nothing more.

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