Posted on 12/23/2017 2:45:52 PM PST by NKP_Vet
ROME, Italy, December 22, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) The decorations on the Vatican Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square this year are devoid of Christian religious symbols, a veteran Vaticanist reports.
"Look," a friend of Dr. Robert Moynihan pointed out to him. "There are peace signs, and the oriental yin-yang signs, but no angels, no depictions of the Magi, no images of Mary, nothing but universal symbols.
"We have not seen a single religious symbol, not a single Christian symbol, on the tree."
Close up of the 2017 Vatican Christmas tree showing a yin-yang symbol.Dr. Robert Moynihan Continued Moynihan: And I too saw that there seemed not to be a single Christian symbol on the tree, unless the star on the top of the tree could be considered a sign of the star that led the Magi to the Christ-child.
The report came in Moynihans December 20 eLetter, which recounted his running into two friends recently while walking through St. Peter's Square. Moynihan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Inside the Vatican magazine.
Moynihan said his friends were alarmed about the tree decorations.
Many nuns in Rome say they are shocked and are very worried about the message these decorations are sending to the youngest, Moynihans friend said. I wish I knew the Pope's secretaries to tell them to tell the Pope what is on the Square, if really the Holy Father wants to go and to bless such things. The worst thing for all these sponsors would be for the Pope not to come to the Square on December 31.
The tree is a gift to the Vatican from Poland. It was Pope St. John Paul II who established the tradition of Christmas trees in St. Peters Square decades ago.
Media reports by and large on the ornaments followed the Vatican reports lead, mentioning that the ornaments were created by children receiving treatment at several Italian hospitals and children from the Italian Archdiocese of Spoleto-Norcia, which was rocked by earthquakes in 2016.
News reports discussed the ornaments being made of synthetic materials to stand up to winter weather, but not the ornaments designs.
Moynihans friends told him that in past years, the Christmas tree had been decorated with brilliant white and yellow balls, denoting the Vatican colors.
The two said as well they had written a letter to the Government of Vatican City, protesting the decorations on the Christmas tree.
Controversy continues to swirl around the Vatican Nativity for its particular approach to using nudity. Facebook flagged the image of this years Nativity display for being sexually suggestive or provocative.
The tree and the Nativity scene are set to remain in St Peters Square until the evening of Sunday, January 7, 2018, when the Church celebrates the feast of the Lords Baptism.
Y photo is from the mid 2000-2010 period, so nobody can blame the current Pope.. do we want to take a shot at a Saint for a tree with no ornaments?
Usually it doesn't matter which post it was because it was a nice compliment regardless, but it's hard to voice one's concerns honestly without someone taking offense or attacking anyone who doesn't believe like they think they should. I hope I am past all that..
Your post, about not putting up a tree any longer and all the details therein. I enjoyed reading it.
Guaranteed he knows and approved every non-Christian symbol.
Thank you. I thought that was probably the one you meant, and it means a lot to me.
Most of us can't afford fine linen and pure linen wrinkles terribly unless it is blocked or pressed in some manner. I suspect some linen goods we do use are blended with other fibers. And pure linen garments are used in the burial of I believe it is Conservative Jews to this day. And other rigid practices about proper burial.
It's just my opinion with no force of authority but it seems to me the ten commandments are of a higher order than the other rules and laws. However, those rules, to Israelites, were enforced.
The one about marrying one's deceased brother's wife to bear children attributable to the deceased legal paternity; the punishment was death when Onan spilled his seed on the ground. The Catholic teachings concerning certain sex-related sins are based on that, but I don't think any Jews or Israelite (the latter whose identify, if surviving, is unknown any longer are compelled to follow that rule.
There are probably other examples I can't recall.
It was like a little story in one post and was interesting. Plus, you were sensitive to the beliefs of others.
Yeah, you’re no fun, because you aren’t a slave to vanity.
My wife and I dropped the habit 35 yrs ago, when we were shown that passage. It was so easy! And we found it only made life easier. We are blessed.
You should have included verses 5 and 6, because the vanity is further exposed:
“They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.”
So, no, I’m certainly not afraid of it. (Unless it burns down a house with people in it, which is just tragic.)
It doesn’t represent God; because “there is none like unto thee, O LORD...”.
We find great joy in what the Lord has done for us, and keep it simple. The tree can’t witness what the Lord has done for us, and can’t help the sick and afflicted get better. If it could, it would be left up all year.
When my wife was growing up, she had a neighbor with a fake tree, full of decorations, that he would carefully put in the attic without taking anything off, and cover it up until next year. (Also, he happened to be a horrible father and husband.)
Thank you again.
Thanks for posting from the KJV. You get extra points for that.
Nice post, great testimony.
Not surprising given our multi culti Pope and who he is surrounding himself with.
JoMa
The pope is a Marxist anti-christ. Will Catholics sit idly by while he destroys the church?
No is my answer from this Catholic Christian.
>No is my answer from this Catholic Christian.
Godspeed Biggirl.
And all True Scotsmen have nothing BUT 5 pointed ones!
So many to chose from...
I'd have to give my mind quite a workout and not quite sure I could solve it. I'd try to divide a circle in the proper number of radians, then connect to the center. Finally with a ruler, mark the star edges. But wait. Where in the circle would I draw the outline lines to; it wouldn't be the center. Maybe circumscribe a smaller circle and divide that into 10 radians? Too much for me right now. lol Gotta be a better way.
I hope they don't have some sinister symbolism. To this day, I guess I would prefer a 5-pointed one lol.
You mean the guy who was “canonized” a saint by no other than.....the false pope Francis?
Do you realize that Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II in 2011? he would have been canonized in the latter part of 2013 or early 2014, regardless is who was Pope. I know many here hate Pope Francis, but Pope Benedict got the canonization ball rolling on JPII.
Benedict is also a Modernist. Of course he “beatified” one of his own. Having said that, beatifications are not infallible, canonizations are...that is, if the pope is the pope.
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