As much as it alarms me to find myself defending the actions of a purported climate-change denier, I really have to laugh at combox blather of those who are shocked, shocked...
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| Gambling???... at Rick's???? |
Take, (and I am playing the cynic here,) the outrageous sum thrown away on vestments to use in the chapel at the offices of the new post.
Let's break that down.
We'll assume he's got his own cardinatial cassock, little red cap, one of those cool sashes...
But even a curial official is first and foremost a priest whose duty is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
So -
You can get an "Everyday Chasuble", for 200 bucks. That's about 185 Euros.
Of course it's 100% polyester, devoid of any beauty;at less than four feet long in the back will look pretty damned goofy on a man of 6'3", (I know this from recent experience of Twin Tower priest and deacon visiting,) which at least one of the priests* who will likely be using the garment is; and looks pretty much like a tablecloth with a hole in it.
Oh, but who cares, anything's good enough for ceremonies worshipping God, right? 'cause He doesn't really care.
So let's get those, 4 liturgical colors, (no black,) two per, (probably sufficient for concelebrations, not all the time, but we're going economy class here.)
Inexpensive albs, also polyester, about 125 Euros, they come in 5 sizes, but we're aiming at frugality, so let's just get 2 each in small, large and XXL - that's 750 Euros.
So we're at 2230.
We won't get dalmatics, a deacon if present can just
About 440 more Euros for cheapie stoles, 2 in each liturgical color but black.
I'm don't know if there's any reason deacons, if present, can't wear priest's stoles, surely the buttons and loops or whatever can be McGyvered?
So this is pretty barebones.
No humeral veil? no cope? no amices, cinctures?
Nope. (and CERTAINLY no maniples.)
So, "the allegations, contained in leaked figures published by Italian magazine L'Espresso on Friday, suggest Cardinal Pell also spent €2508 on religious robes at a tailor" are pretty dang innocuous, along the lines of "leaked details suggest Pell had a second cup of coffee at dinner!"
Oh, the extravagance!!!!!!!
Since the sum of my knowledge about Roman apartment rentals is from House Hunters International I won't embarrass myself by claiming to know anything about that aspect of the "expose", but I'm going to jump to the assumption that those figures are equally ludicrous as evidence of profligacy as part of a smear campaign.
Anyway, I sincerely hope with that €2508 figure Cdl Pell didn't buy anywhere near the number of pieces I enumerated above, I hope that was spent on a single gorgeous chasuble.
And I hope there will be many more.
*
| Pell used to be 6'4", I'm assuming he has shrunk a bit |
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