Two articles in today's Italian L'Osservatore Romano quotidiana on how great and cool the sedia gestatoria. Calling it "democratic".
Hmmm... well, it doesn't look terribly democratic to me. Looks kind of more "monarchical".
But it's two articles. In L'Osservatore Romano.
Two thoughts pop in there: The pope is going to bring it back.
And, how did it get into L'Osservatore Romano?
7 comments:
My mom was in an audience of blessed Pope Pius XII in 1950. She thought the sedia gestatoria was great, because everyone could see him.
Hilary,
Are the articles only in the hard copy? I looked in the online edition and couldn't find them.
Perhaps the guys doing the lifting are democratically elected.
Jon, the Vatian press office, internationally famous for its efficiency, hasn't yet cottoned on to the idea that one publishes an online edition and archives it for future reference. They are not, shall we say, oriented towards giving information inside.
Louise, the history of the guys who carry the chair is quite interesting. The office is passed down through families and is one of the ancient court positions of the Good Old Days when the pope knew he was king.
Well, there goes my chance of being a chair-lifter. Rats.
I think it is the triple tiara and the ostrich feather fans that look monarchical. Drop them, and the chair may well seem novus ordo.
Better keep the fans and the tiara, then.
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