White outfit, wrong occasion, Cherie (Cherie Blair didn't wear black to meet the Pope)

UK Telegraph ^ | 4/29/06 | Malcolm Moore and Jonathan Petre

[wagglebee]

Cherie Blair provoked surprise in the Vatican and the ire of a Roman Catholic MP yesterday by wearing all-white to meet the Pope, a privilege normally reserved for Catholic Queens.

The Vatican convention is that females meeting the Pontiff should wear black, preferably with a black veil, or mantilla.

	Cherie Blair with Pope Benedict

When the Queen met Pope John Paul II six years ago, she observed the code meticulously.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, wore black, but omitted the veil.

By contrast, Mrs Blair, a staunch Catholic, chose to exercise the "privilege du blanc", usually granted only to the wives of Catholic monarchs.

Her breach of the protocol was surprising, since she has kept closely to the Church's dress code in the past.

Mrs Blair may not have worn a hat to the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales but she mourned the passing of John Paul II in a mantilla.

Technically, only three women should wear white in the presence of the Pope.

They are Queen Sofia of Spain, Queen Paola of Belgium and Josephine Charlotte, the wife of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Queen Sofia exercised her privilege in a meeting with the previous Pope in 2003.

Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister and a convert to Catholicism, was scathing about Mrs Blair.

"Even the Queen wore black to meet the Pope," she said. "This shows that she has a very grand idea of herself.

"She is a Catholic. She knows what the tradition is when meeting the Pope.

"She obviously thinks she is the first lady.

"My message to her is 'You are not a Catholic Queen, my dear, and you never will be.' "

Mrs Blair was in Rome for a Church-organised conference entitled "Vanishing Youth? Solidarity with Children and Young People in an Age of Turbulence".

She was invited as an expert and remained afterwards for a private meeting with the Pope. A spokesman for the Vatican declined to reveal what they had discussed.

[Havoc]

I can tell you about tradition. And so can the Church of Rome. They've most recently decided that tradition can trump scripture and they can utter anything they want. We all could have guessed that. It's called the endgame of the emboldened theif. Eventually the thief gets wreckless after getting by with theft for so long. It emboldens him and he gets slack..

I know about "tradition". It's the same with all the cults. So what. That's called detailed garbage. The simplicity is that Roman Catholicism is no different than much of Protestantism. It is Philosophy sheepdipped in Christianity and paraded as Christianity ++. They're following two masters. Attack the christian message and they may whince. Attack the philosophy with the christian scripture as the weapon and they will destroy the scripture to defend the philosophy. That's the part where they display that they've chosen their master and it is the philosophy. Don't you love it when a teaching of Christ can be so clearly seen in action.. Just warms the heart to see him proven right over and over again. And Pharasees never change, they just choose new labels for themselves..

[Brian Allen]

<< I wonder who the idiot was who let her make this blunder. >>

Although, in the way of all such culturally communistic lawyers, somewhat anally retetive, Ms Booth Blair's only half the idiots in her family and sprung of such poor stock that were she American, she'd likely be known as po' white trash.

Like her friends the cli'tons.

And was just being herself.

[Havoc]

Indeed, the "Religionists" of Christ's day called him everything in the book, lied about him, probably called him an anti-jewish, anti-romish bigot and things of the like.. and they put him to death for preaching the truth instead of the lies of the priesthood of the day.. hrmph.. Sounds like Medievil Europe.

[Thorin]

>>>>>Really, who does he think he is. Pope is a religious title unknown to Christianity. It may be known to Catholics; but, that's sorta part of my point.

We Catholics have been followers of Christ since the very beginning. Who do you think you are, casting aspersions on Catholics that way?

[RobbyS]

In Havoc's form of Christianity, Havoc is pope. He only bows to himself.

[Thorin]

>>>>>I love Catholics. I just hate fraud. So I give the Catholics the same respect I give Budhists. I tell them the truth.

I love you, so I'll tell you the truth: you're a moron. You write at the level of a third grader, and reason at the level of a first grader. You can't spell, and you lack both good sense and manners, coming on a thread purely to insult Catholic beliefs and pick fights with Catholics.

[Thorin]

>>>>In Havoc's form of Christianity, Havoc is pope.

I hope Havoc is a she. I wonder about any man who uses "lol," as Havoc has done.

[SuziQ]

Worse yet, Did she also committed the fashion crime by wearing white shoes before Memorial Day and after Labor Day?

Now there's a REAL fashion faux pas! ;o)

[sinkspur]

Zenit, of course, does not even mention Cherie Blair's attire.

Only the stuffy Brits would get the vapors over so inane and silly a subject as the color of a dress worn in the presence of the Pope.

It's reminiscent of the fashion police and their tittering over Benedict wearing a black sweater under his soutane when he made his first appearance on St. Peter's balcony.

Too many people with too much time on their hands.

[bwc]

I am sure the Pontiff was not offended and met this with graciousness. People make mistakes, it was a bit embarrassing but some people major in extreme pickiness when it suits them and then other times they overlook it depending upon their personal agenda.

I doubt the Holy Father said little if anything about it, a class act.

If you are not Catholic, it is still classy to do your best to honor their traditions just out of respect.

[bwc]

Excellent point!!! :)

[verity]

"I wonder who the idiot was who let her make this blunder."

The only idiot is the one who cares about this crap and it seems as though you fit the description.

[TaxachusettsMan]

Oh dear, your anti-Catholicism is showing.

It was NOT any statement from the Roman Catholic Church criticizing Mrs. Blair - but someone in Great Britain.

Don't you hate it when you say something stupid and your true colors show? We'll be watching your postings much more carefully from now on.

Bigotry is so ugly.

[William Terrell]

So then why do you wear clothing?

For the same reasons everybody else does. Why does the Pope reqire a specific color of clothing for specific people?

[TaxachusettsMan]

"Silly manmade affectations."

Anti-Catholic bigotry alert!

What a wonderful reason not to become a Catholic! (As if you'd ever seriously consider it!).

Especially interesting comment you've made here, since THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS NOT MADE - AND WILL NOT MAKE - A COMMENT ABOUT WHAT MRS. BLAIR WORE. Someone in Great Britain made the comment.

And it was obviously not such an important point of protocol that she was turned back. So where does that leave your point about "silly manmade affectations"?

It's interesting to watch the subtle - and sometimes not so-subtle - anti-Catholicism surface on FR . . .

And, as for your not joining us . . . ah well, we'll have to soldier bravely on, the way we have for over 2,000 years.

Something tells me, we're gonna make it (in fact, there's a quote to that effect in Matthew's Gospel).

Meanwhile, on FR, when it comes to Catholicism, silly manmade bigotry rocks on!

[sinkspur]

Why does the Pope reqire a specific color of clothing for specific people?

He doesn't. Fashion ninnies do. There are some basics of decorum (covered shoulders, covered head), but color is not one of them.

[TaxachusettsMan]

He didn't demand.

WOW - you are truly one of the leading anti-Catholic bigots on FR.

Thanks for showing us your true colors.

Hey, fellow Catholics, let's start PINGing this anti-Catholic moron's listings from now on, whenever we see his white-sheet-hood comin down the dirt road!

[TaxachusettsMan]

ANOTHER ANTI-CATHOLIC BIGOT surfaces!

Do they make those white-hooded sheets in women's sizes too?

[TaxachusettsMan]

Nice presentation.

But wasted on anti-Catholic bigots . . . and I must say, I never knew there were so many of them THRIVING here on FR.

Very disheartening.