Pope visit merchandise includes 'metal' T-shirt and baseball cap [it's official merchandise!]

Telegraph.co.uk ^ | 03 Aug 2010 | Martin Beckford

[Alex Murphy]

The online store is offering a baseball cap, a jacket and a range of T-shirts bearing Benedict XVI’s image and the motto of the historic trip – Heart speaks unto heart.

One of the shirts, costing £20, can be customised to include the name of the pilgrim’s local church.

Also on sale are a flag and an £8 electronic flashing candle, which can be waved during the open-air events just as music fans hold cigarette lighters aloft at festivals.

[SNIP]

The online store for the first-ever state papal visit to Britain, which coincides with London Fashion Week, is also selling a £30 blue bracelet featuring “bling” Swarovski crystals.

More traditional items include bookmarks, fridge magnets, keyrings, mugs, plates and a glossy programme.

For the particularly devout there are candles, rosary beads and crosses.

The Roman Catholic hierarchies of England and Wales, and Scotland, will be hoping that sales help cover their costs associated with the visit, likely to be more than £7million.

But there is also a brisk trade in unofficial merchandise, with a website called Catholics With Attitude selling hooded tops bearing slogans such as “Vatican All Stars”, “Team Benedict” and “Top of the Popes”.

The National Secular Society, which is planning public protests during the visit, is selling T-shirts bearing the message “Pope Nope”.

[Alex Murphy]

The Roman Catholic hierarchies of England and Wales, and Scotland, will be hoping that sales help cover their costs associated with the visit, likely to be more than £7million.

Related threads:
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Theologian claims we should celebrate Knox, not the Pope
John Knox on Resisting Princes
Side by side ... the Pope and John Knox
John Knox addresses leaders of the family
Pope snubbed by Scottish Catholics: Thousands turn down the chance to see the Pope in person

[TSgt]

Pope worship, a close second to Mary worship...

[Antoninus]

Thanks for posting this. I think I’ll purchase a few of these items.

[Tax-chick]

Cool. Anoreth would dig the t-shirt, but 20 pounds is a LOT of money. Maybe a discount version will appear in the catalogs in the US at some point.

[Dayman]

I wonder if you’d go to hell for bootlegging Pope T-shirts?

[IrishCatholic]

Since Catholics don’t do either, I must assume it is the “Know Nothings” here on FR. Since that is all they ever post about.

[Tax-chick]

They could pay a licensing fee.

[nmh]

Live rates at 2010.08.03 14:54:00 UTC
7.00 GBP = 11.1522 USD

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

$11,1522 is significant but the Catholic Church should have that to pay for his trip. Something doesn't make sense,

Admittedly, I'm not Catholic and don't understand why Christ is NOT the one highlighted. Christianity is ALL ABOUT CHRIST, not another sinner.

There truly needs to be some humility here and this merchandising of the image of another sinner should stop ... . It is all about CHRIST!

Putting the above thought aside, this kind of merchandising tends to downgrade the image of the Pope pr any other “religious” leader. It reduces him to being a celebrity of sorts. In the eyes of God, none of us are worthy and out best works are ALL “filthy rags”.

Rom.3:10

[10] As it is written, There is none righteous,
no, not one:

Isa.64:6

[6] But we are ALL as an unclean thing, and ALL our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we ALL do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Perhaps some humility might make a difference.

Again, I'm not Catholic but you won't find me wearing a Charles Stanley t-shirt - they don't make them but if they did, I wouldn't buy one either. It's all about CHRIST! John.2:16 [16] And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

[SnakeDoctor]

That’s what my pastor forgot ... merchandising. Good grief. To GOD be the Glory.

SnakeDoc

[circlecity]

Sheer idolatry.

[nmh]

“Pope worship, a close second to Mary worship...”

They just don't SEE, that it is old fashioned IDOL WORSHIP.

They are blinded. They shouldn't be praying TO dead mortals or living fallible mortals. I don't know how to get through to them.

It's ALL ABOUT CHRIST, the LIVING PERFECT GOD!

1Tim.2:5

[5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Not dead Mary. Not the fallible Pope!

It's ALL ABOUT CHRIST.

Rom.8:28

[26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

It is the Holy Spirit that intercedes in our prayers to reach the Father who mediates for us to God. Mary and other mere fallible mortals put a hedge in place and don't allow people to have a DIRECT and personal relationship with Christ. It s wrong to use fallible mortals (Pope) as mediators to Christ or dead Mary as an intercessor as someone to pray TO, as they do.

It's is terribly sad that they can't see this:

Holy Spirit (intercessor) -> (mediator) Christ -> God

Yes, I know will be labeled a “Catholic basher” and ridiculed because I actually READ and LOOK to the Bible, God's Word, made flesh through Christ for direction. Yes, I'm supposed to believe that God was confused when He allowed us to have the Bible for His teachings. It is fallible man that I should believe when teachings contradict the Bible, Perfection's instruction book. I say that with bitter sarcasm. It's a crime to deny anyone a personal relationship with Christ.

I guarantee you that NONE of the apostles or Prophets in the Bible has to merchandise themselves to finance their journeys to preach about Christ. Nor did they live so high and large as the Pope. Instead there was humility and a disregard for materialism by followers of Christ in the Bible. Contrast the humility, adulation and materialism that this Pope EXPECTS for his lifestyle. Catholics refuse to see this and fund the Pope's ungodly hypocrisy.

[Dayman]

That would cut into the profits. Besides, I don’t think the Vatican would license souvenier 4’ tall foam pope hats.

[Tax-chick]

I don’t think the image of the Pope’s hat is copyrighted, but the image on the t-shirt in the original post surely is.

It was just a throwaway comment, anyway.

[Dayman]

I’m making light of all the materialism and merchandising that the vatican is engaging in.

Even Yogurt understood that merchandising is where it is at.

[nmh]

It truly frustrated me that Catholics can't SEE what is going on. It is “sheer idolatry”.

BTW, Indulgences are back in style again too -

FOR MONEY!

The announcement in church bulletins and on Web sites has been greeted with enthusiasm by some and wariness by others. But mainly, it has gone over the heads of a vast generation of Roman Catholics who have no idea what it means: “Bishop Announces Plenary Indulgences.”

In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin.

(You can NOT buy your way into heaven.)

...

“Why are we bringing it back?” asked Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of Brooklyn, who has embraced the move. “Because there is sin in the world.”

(No, the Catholic Church needs money again.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10indulgence.html?_r=1

Either you go to hell or heaven when you die. There is NOTHING “in between” or you are calling Christ a liar.

2Cor.5:8

[8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

This was directed to believers. If you are absent from the body (dead believer), you are present with the Lord (heaven).

The converse is true for UNBELIEVERS or something else would be indicated like purgatory.

If you are absent from the body (dead non believer)
then you are NOT present with the Lord (hell).

There is NO purgatory - it too was used as a MONEY MAKER playing off people's emotions to make the Catholic Church wealthy and build other churches etc..

It just goes on and on and on how Catholic people are spiritually and financially abused - all for naught. Yes, I know, even when I use the dreaded BIBLE VERSES, it's wrong and “Catholic bashing”. What is truly sad about that is how the Catholic Church has trained them to see the BIBLE as their enemy , whereas it is the BIBLE and His teachings that will set them free for be followers of CHRIST; not fallible sinners with an agenda!

Okay, I'll move on so Catholic can show their "love" for me through nasty barbs and false accusations in defending this nonsense. Yes, I am saying that with tongue in cheek. They don't understand ... there is a veil over their eyes. All you can do is keep trying to remove that veil so they can see the truth.

[Tax-chick]

Good point about the yogurt. And if we eat yogurt, why don’t we also drink kumiss?

[starlifter]

My dear, could you take a deep breath then give an example of pope worship or Mary worship?

[circlecity]

"Okay, I'll move on so Catholic can show their "love" for me through nasty barbs and false accusations in defending this nonsense."

LOL, yep you've done it now. The FR Inquisition will be here in 4..3..2..1......

[notaliberal]

Steve Munsey - Jubilee Telethon 98 - © 1998 LeSEA

GOD IS FIXIN' TO MAKE YOU RICH!

BUT ONLY IF YOU SEND YOUR JUBILEE SEED MONEY TO LeSEA MINISTRIES NOW !

[notaliberal]

BAPTIST MERCHANDISE