Posted on 07/12/2013 12:30:45 PM PDT by markomalley
From Corriere della sera comes something straight from a Fellini movie (my translation).
I am not making this up.
Inspection – The Pope declared war on the Vatican’s luxury cars. First, he attacked wastefulness, underscoring that “it bothers me when I see a priest or a sister with a brand new car”. Then, a few days later, he put into practice what he had stated during a meeting with seminarians: on Wednesday he made an inspection of the Vatican parking lot. It isn’t the first time – already in the past days Pope Francis, on his way to lunch with a cardinal friend, visited the place where some cardinals usually park their cars.
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The Pope is checking out what cars Vatican employees and cardinals are driving. Really?
This whole topic is a phenomenal waste of time. I post on it because, mark my words, people who can barely scrape three brain cells together, are going to latch onto the vague moralism of “think of the poor” when looking at the local priest’s car. There are some people who think that if the priest isn’t licking up water from puddles on the sidewalk and rubbing gravel through his hair, he is a bad priest who doesn’t care enough about las ovejas pobres.
Look. We need to make distinctions about a “good” car and a “luxury” car. We need to consider the prudent use of money as well. Is it a better use of money to buy a car that is old and used, newer and used, new? It depends on the car and how it is used, its safety features and record, its fuel efficiency and repair record. It depends on the price of the car and the price of the money (financing). If the same money will by a new good car or a used car, are you obliged to buy the used car? Does fuel efficiency figure in? Is this only about cars that look “sporty”? Is this about leather seats? Is this about what other people in the area drive? Priests often put a lot of miles on a car. It seems to me that priests are better off in a good car. Therefore, the flock is better off if the priest has a good car.
In the meantime, I understand that there is a run on old Fiats right now by Vatican employees and officials.
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Frankly, I think you’d have to be out of your mind to drive anywhere in Italy, but Rome is totally out of the question.
He can sell of the Vatican and then conduct the business of the church in a dreary soviet-era building.
Are you kidding? I spent 3 years in Italy -- all over the country -- without a problem. (Of course, I spent 3 years in Turkey before then...so I may have been better prepared than most)
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goodness gracious. i hope we don’t start seeing a proliferation of clunkers retrieved from junkyards of roma, or a gaggle of volts and leafs around the car parks of the vatican, and please let’s leave the solar panels off the dome of st. peter’s basilica.
That definitely hits home when I think of the 85 YO visiting (driving) priests who celebrate our Latin Mass, four seasons a year.
Maybe I’ve had more than my share of suicidal Roman cabbies. If you want a challenge, try downtown Beijing; I swear you couldn’t get a credit card between the cars...
I couldn’t believe the number of accidents we saw on a short bus trip to Ephesus years ago. Also while in Athens for a couple of hours I had about all the Greek traffic I could handle, along with a tour bus driver who though he was a contender for Monaco at F1 speeds.
Well, I call it "combat driving" -- learned very well how to do it in Istanbul and Ankara. Question: How many Murats fit side by side on a 2 lane road at a stoplight? (If you've been in Turkey for any length of time, you will appreciate the question)
China or Korea...now that's some scary driving, though.
I like this pope.
Air Conditioning? Oh, you mean opening the windows, right?
When I lived in Italy, Enel (the electric utility) had three different tiers for electric bills. I forget what the thresholds were (it's been 14 years), but it went from very reasonable to OMG! high depending upon how much electricity you burnt during the billing cycle. Sort of like our progressive tax system...but based upon kilowatt hours rather than income.
I think the Holy Father is making the point that the Vatican should not be run as if it were a Renaissance palace. Besides, until 1870, the popes did not lived in the Vatican but in what is now the Italian presidential palace. Furthermore, the actual Cathedral of Rome is St, John Lateran. Furthermore this pope is not the first to be made uncomfortable about having to live like a prince. Pope Benedict reportedly was reluctant to leave his modest apartment near ST. PETER’S.
Probably zero ... same as if he were to visit any of the three Catholic parishes I currently frequent.
(Imagine a small truck bed powered by a Vespa)
If he starts scheduling the Vatican tennis courts, then we should start to worry.
I agree. I have driven one million miles in my lifetime. Wouldn’t even consider driving in Rome even for a km.
You mean his last name isn't Medici, Orsini, or della Rovere?
I am shocked!, shocked I tell you!
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