Variation on the dreaded Christmas gift sweater

This almost needs a caption call.

From The Onion:

Pope Francis Wearing Sweater Vestments He Got For Christmas

17_01_09_Francis_sweater

Moderation queue is ON, of course.

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54 Comments

  1. CradleRevert says:

    It’s too easy….I won’t say it….

    I won’t say it….

    ……

    ……

    Fine…I’ll say it: It’s an improvement over his usual vestments.

  2. pseudomodo says:

    This is a excellent photo of Monsignor Guido Marini just in the early stages of formulating a face palm.

  3. Discerning Altar Boy says:

    Pope only Wearing New Vestments because Vatican HVA/C is Broken, “Better itch than freeze”

  4. Tiber Swimmer 2012 says:

    Pope Francis makes an unprecedented move to make liturgical vestments less rigid and more conforming to our needs and excesses.

  5. Bea says:

    And the winner of the “Ugly Christmas Sweater” is ……………..

  6. MrTipsNZ says:

    And here we have Pope Francis parading the new AL pastoral garment: it’ll pull the wool over everything!

  7. Gabriel Syme says:

    Sheesh, that’s so bad that I could believe its a malicious photo-shop job!

    Monsignor Marini seems unable to look at the Holy Father in this woolly guise!

  8. organistjason says:

    This is the perfect image of Msgr Marini beginning to think about what “accident” may befall these “sweater” vestments. And whom his alibi should be.

  9. Peter in Canberra says:

    well, it is apparently very cold in Rome right now.

  10. Filipino Catholic says:

    At least the liturgical color is still valid.

  11. rachmaninov says:

    “Baby its cold outside”

  12. KatieL56 says:

    All dressed up for the “Purl-y Gates”.

  13. scholastica says:

    But where are the reindeer?… and the sequins?

  14. spock says:

    Poor man. Looks like he should be sheared.

  15. Cafea Fruor says:

    I hope he wears it only for grand occasions, lest he throw his purls before swine.

    ;-)

  16. Fr Sean Coyle says:

    The Purl of Great Price?

    [Well played.]

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  17. Dad of Six says:

    There are some who wear their hairshirt inside their clothes, and some who wear the hairshirt as their clothes.

  18. Rob in Maine says:

    May one assume it was knitted form St. Agnes Wool?

    Back in the 1980’s there was a spoof catalog on L.L. Bean – a Maine institution – titled “Items from Our Catalog.” I think Beans successfully sued to have it suppressed but before that I was lucky to get a copy. One of the spoof items, featuring an image of St John Paul II, were “Our Own Thinsulite(tm) Papal Vestments.”

  19. Art says:

    One can imagine the comments:
    ‘Nice vestments, Holy Father.’
    ‘No, really, it looks great on you!’
    ‘Homemade vestments are the best!’

    And the perennial:
    ‘I wish someone loved me enough to make me vestments just like that!’

  20. Tamara T. says:

    Stop already, I have not had enough coffee for this yet! Surely this is a photo shop right?

  21. TNCath says:

    Pope Francis has a Perry Como Christmas.

  22. Benedict Joseph says:

    Frightening simply because it is so utterly believable.
    This could prompt all kinds of ideas among a certain “school of liturgists.”

  23. Muv says:

    Custom made by a knitter inspired by the God of Surprises – note change in direction in the twist of the cable on the right.

  24. The Egyptian says:

    the good Monsignor
    ” if I step on this thread here at the bottom, what will happen?”
    or
    Another tangled web

  25. rtattersall says:

    Perhaps this is to demonstrate what it means to take on the smell of the sheep…

  26. That Guy says:

    Hope he got a nomex alb underneath. That’d be a heck of a fire hazard. Kinda reminds me of something my mom would have made me wear with corduroy trousers. At least the “sweastment” would muffle the swishing sound of my thighs rubbing together.

  27. frmh says:

    In the life of the priest you can have the frequent occasion of the “dreaded gift stole”.

    [Oh dear, yes.]

  28. Bos Mutissimus says:

    The first one he got was in Liturgical Blue, but he used the Gift Receipt to exchange it.

  29. HyacinthClare says:

    All of you are completely right above, but my first thought, as a knitter, was “That would have taken FOREVER to make. What a sacrifice!”

  30. pelerin says:

    At first I groaned when I saw this until I realised it came from the Onion. I began to see the funny side when I thought about what would happen if it was worn in the rain or if it received a particularly strong drenching at the Asperges. The weight of the wool would be intolerable for the wearer. That is definitely taking the metaphor of sheep too far.

  31. APX says:

    Clearly the Holy Father is setting an example for all priests who live in an area with carbon tax and can parishes can no longer afford to turn the heat up, yet still want to remain warm. Sometimes it’s not about turning the heat up. Sometimes it’s about wearing knitted polyester vestments. Coming soon, knitted chalice cozies to keep the Precious Blood from freezing.

  32. VexillaRegis says:

    ” Sheesh! the sisters of the LCWR have gone totally off rail with this Christmas gift! I feel sheepish in this!”

  33. Kostadinov says:

    Seamless garment?

  34. teomatteo says:

    Now that’s what I call a nice ‘corda- gan’.

  35. yatzer says:

    I actually thought this might be real until I saw the Onion title.

  36. Poor Yorek says:

    Marini: “Baah! Sheepsh! How does one cope with this?”

  37. Patra says:

    Etsy Fresh Finds: Inspired by…?

  38. Seattle Slough says:

    “Does this make me look fat?”

  39. GAK says:

    I can’t believe Pope Francis fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book.

    Gregory the Great received a parcel in late 598. It had a fancy robe with weird stitching. He sniffed something off about the whole thing and tossed it in the fire.

    In 1074 an anonymous Christmas bundle arrived for Gregory VII. It was a stunning lamb’s wool vestment; however, as he was no dumb bunny, he recognized it for the Trojan horse it was. Worked into the weave with gold thread were fertility god symbols, advocating for married priests. He gave it to his hunting dog when she had pups.

    Paul III was gifted with a gorgeous set of vestments in 1545. Embroidered in what is the earliest known version of Morse code, he spotted the Ninety-five Theses. His sister, who had a sense of humor, had her handmaids re-embroider the dots into dozens of rosaries. Then she had it tacked up on the door of All Saints Church.

  40. Persistant says:

    Probably smells like sheep.

  41. Eliane says:

    Is Msgr. Marini diverting his eyes or do I just imagine it?

  42. MitisVis says:

    Thought bubble from Monsignor Guido Marini
    “I give up”

  43. MrsMacD says:

    Can I say it Father? What if I leave some out and some for the imagination…
    “Beware of … who come to you in the clothing of sheep…”

  44. Kerry says:

    “Is this the right place? Game of Thrones dress-up, yes? Where Marx?”

  45. cl00bie says:

    I not only have the smell of the sheep, I have a coat of the sheep too!!!

  46. Cantor says:

    “Dear Father in Heaven, please welcome Aunt Tillie home. Preferably before next Christmas.”

  47. pseudomodo says:

    I wonder which diocese he is incardiganated in?

  48. rdb says:

    Monsignors Marini and Cihak gave him the sweater vestment so they were the ones chosen to walk in with him as he was showing it off.

  49. comedyeye says:

    Who are we to judge?

  50. joekstl says:

    They will be with the relics of the three kings in the Koelner Dom!

  51. judeberes says:

    “…Marini , Marini ….get me the holy afghan!”

  52. Andrew Lomas says:

    Msgr Marini is praying the vestments don’t shrink in the rain!

  53. ChristoetEcclesiae says:

    Laughed hard at first. Love the Onion. I would almost like them if they weren’t vestments. Then this suddenly occurred: Matthew 7:15 and following? Almost eerie to read through verse 27 keeping all that is currently happening in the Church in mind.

    I’m sorry if this make me a wet, woolly blanket. : (

  54. judeberes says:

    …I don’t give a DAMN MARINI, it just better not have any LACE on it!

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