THE POPE'S HAT AND OTHER DISGUISES

I have always thought that the opulent, lavish displays of pagenty by royalty and religions are superfluous and absurdly outdated. In the Catholic church they are meant to symbolize the loftiness and sublimity of the  transcendent, God, celbrate holy days or events related to the canonical year.

     Unfortuantely, we often also assign these attributes to the representatives wearing said garments and particiating in the pagenty with all its accompanying "paraphenalia." Repsentatives are also associated with the all powerful omnicience of the Diety.  

    Of course, there can be respect for those representing religions and governments, although it has been difficult to distinguish among the good (but silent ones) and the evil doers. At this stage in humanity's evolution (which I may mistakenly feel is much further along than we actually are) are we not capable of "getting it" without the pomp and circumstance? Not to mention the expense of it all? ( I just did.) 

    If we believe in transcendent reality and spirutal values and virturees to live by, we "shouldn't" need such materialistic terms, which detract from the essential meanining intended. Shouldn't we be able to make the connection in more pure and simple ways. But such simplicity would be detrimental to the power and control of the church and its representatives. 

    Most people I have spoken to about these "vestiges" and vestments of Medievalism, do not agree with me, although my meager poll is not an official sampling, and perhaps a majority would agree that the extravagence--whether religious or royalty-related is absurd.

    I do not understand why, for example, at the time of this writing the pope wears Prada shoes. Wouldn't less trendy/high-end footwear (say, simple sandals) suffice and be far more symbolic? Let's talk reality here: the pope's silly hat and the Bristish royals' crowns (with "borrowed" gems) are ludicrously absurd. I had to laugh out loud (without accompanying lightning bolt) when I recently saw Pope Benedict, with much ado surrounding his appearance (bowing and ring-kissing). The spectacle was obviously inconsistent with the image of the humble carpentar entering Jerulalem on the lowly donkey.

    While it is true, on the one hand, that the shape of the Pope's hat, the fabric, the gold threads, the jewels, the colors of and the symbols on the assorted, opulent vestment and the entourages, are all meant, in part, to reflect the grandeur of God, and to distinguish among the rituals being celebrated around the church calendar, it is also true and intentional that the material  display of wealth and power is meant to leverage the authority (and immunity) to exploit and maintain power and control. 

    The medieval, outdated nature of it all still exists in the 21st century, swaying faithful adherents away from what is meant to be honored and revered, the example of the life and teachings of Christ. The spiritual is belied by sheer materialism, and by the shameful history of the Church's secrecy, perversion, corruption and scandals throughout the ages (Thank you, Dante Alighieri, et al), such as the ongoing child abuse and cover ups worldwide.

The symbol has becomes the thing in itself. The medium is the message, or the "massage"?

I suppose that none of it is going away any time soon, but I would like to see (and long for) those representative human beings in such high and visible positions of power and control not to perpetuate and engage in these displays and consider what more truly represents teachings, values and virtues that are at the very heart of the religous and governmental institutions.  

    It's not going to happen, and mainly due to the power still wielded over the vulneralbe, gullible and/or good souls who should be able to believe that their church leasders can be trusted. The symbols, power and identification with the opulence of wealth and "shiny things" unfortunately may continue until....well the conversion of the Jews.

    

Never! Therefore, let us "awake for pity's sake." 

I recently re-read a Rilke poem accurately reflecting my sentiments, and was the inspiration for my thoughts on the pope's hat and other disguises.

God's True Cloak

We must not portray you in king's robes,
you drifting mist that brought forth the morning.

Once again from the old paintboxes
we take the same gold for scepter and crown
that has disguised you through the ages.

Piously we produce our images of you
till they stand around you like a thousand walls.
And when our hearts would simply open,
our fervent hands hide you. 

(Eric Maria Rilke, Book of Hours)

Yes, we can have a direct, authentic experience of that which is holy, not with our eyes alone, but through our hearts--open to seeing the sacred, not in symbols, but in each other and in creation--which are one and the same with the divine--not a new thought, but one worth reconsideration, in what Rudolf Steiner, a teacher of mine, has called the age of the "consciousness soul."