The Best Dressed Pope: Pope Benedict XVI

Yesterday I happened to read a fantastic article in, of all places, the Chicago Tribune.  The article was entitled "Pope Benedict XVI, The Pontiff of Aesthetics" and was the product of Charlotte Allen.  This particular piece originally appeared in the LA Times. 

I would like to excerpt from the article below and share a showcase of some of the Holy Father's garments during his pontificate.  To God be given the glory through the beauty of the Catholic Faith!

Note: The following are excerpts from Ms. Allen's work.

Benedict didn't bring back the tiara, but he has revived many other traditional papal garments and accessories. For his public appearances he almost always wears the bright red shoes that popes have worn since Roman times (John Paul preferred brown or black footwear).

Benedict also began wearing the mozzetta, a waist-length cape...

...and the camauro, a red velvet cap with a white fur border that reminded Americans of a Santa Claus hat. Neither of those items had been seen much on popes since the end of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

...My own take on Benedict's wardrobe is somewhat different. I don't believe that aesthetics is mere window-dressing. In her 2005 book "The Substance of Style," economics pundit Virginia Postrel wrote: "Aesthetics is the way we communicate through the senses…. Aesthetics shows rather than tells, delights rather than instructs. The effects are immediate, perceptual and emotional." Plato argued that the beautiful, while not exactly the same as the good, is a kind of complement to the good that points to the good and shows off the good via sensory media.

That is what I believe is exactly Benedict's aim. Over the last couple of decades, the Roman Catholic Church has been besmirched with ugliness, scarred by clerical sexual predation abetted by clueless and self-promoting bishops. Benedict has used beauty to demonstrate tangibly that the Catholic faith that he and the members of his church share is itself beautiful and indestructible, and that it shines through despite all human efforts to wreck it.

Note: The following images are provided to showcase a gallery of images from the 8 joyful years of his pontificate.