www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Kissing Popes Feet

Dear Anton,

Well, I wish you well in your exams.

Chocolate is good as a momentary booster but my favourite concoction was orange juice and ginger ale . . .

I think that there is a need for the restoration of some monarchies for places like Bulgaria - after all, the coat of arms of the new Bulgaria is the old royal one, as the Bulgarian Consul here likes to point out to me.

You know - the one who takes me to lunch and tells me all about internal Bulgarian politics that are beyond the reach of persons like you .

So you're going to have to trust me on this one, Big Guy!

Do they say "Big Guy" in London?

You should invoke Our Lady of Oxford and St Tatiana for the success of your exams!

Good luck!

Alex

They do and I am now in Birmingham University doing the MA (so no exams...) but I am mainly based in the beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon. And I've seen Dame Judi Dench quite a bit and I can say she is a mean drinker. So..boo-hoo!

SO then...why don't you keep me abreast of news in Bulgaria then... Dying to know what the consul has been saying. For me, I can only rely on friends and the family member in the Holy Synod....

Anton

Dear Anton,

You mean the "Synod of Milan?"

I'm just trying to loosen you up a bit, since you seem to be so uptight

Ah, Dame Judi Dench! What a great actor! But I'll always love her best in "As Time Goes By" with Geoffrey Palmer!

Good for you! Your experiences in the "sceptred isle of kings" will always be with you!

(And it will prepare you to accept the idea of an eventual royal restoration in Bulgaria! )

Some time ago, you proudly mentioned Bulgaria's role in the Christianization of the Slavs - and you were perfectly right.

Even many Metropolitans of Kyiv were Bulgarian and Bulgaria does provide the foundation upon which all other Slavic culture is built.

So if you don't have exams, what are you worried about?

Having girlfriend trouble, are we?

Alex

Well in the next three months, I have to knock 3 4000 word essays, start reading for my dissertation, prepare for a graduate conference and find a job...so AHHHHHHH....stressing...

And I am not uptight...am I? I always though I was quite open. Hmm...well opinions are always welcome!

On the lady front, have my eyes on someone but do not want to make a move until I know she is no longer on the rebound.

I loved "As Times Goes By"...I am watching the repeats on UKGold...but you still haven; told me your opinion of the beautiful Emmanuelle!

Anton

Dear Anton,

Just kidding, Big Guy!

You're a Bulgarian, not a Vulgarian!

You should get plenty of sleep to do that amount of writing!

As for women, let the object of your desire have some time to totally untie her emotions before you set your sights on her.

I don't know how it is in the Bulgarian community, but I was obligated to find someone who was of the UGCC - period, and no questions asked.

Happily, it didn't matter whether she was for or against pews or the silent anaphoras . . .

Alex

Pope Paul VI went to the floor and kissed the feet of Metropolitan Meliton who came as representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch for the lifting of the 1054 anathemas. The Metropolitan was quite shocked and didn't know quite how to react. He physically picked the Pope up and gave him a big bear hug. This is the account of an I witness that I once read.

Supposedly, the Pope had in mind a certain Scripture passage about kissing the feet of the the bearer of Good News. Can anyone identify the exact passage?

Dear Friends:

Under current canons, the installation of the new Pope (colloquially referred as "coronation") signals the inauguration of his Pontificate and is accomplished with his celebration of the sacred liturgy for God's blessings and for thanksgiving as principal celebrant, with all the members of the Sacred College of Cardinals in attendance.

The Church uses the phrase "a solemn liturgical rite of inauguration" or the "installation" of the newly-elected Pope.

After "The Lord's Prayer" in the solemn liturgical rite of inauguration, each member of the College of Cardinals must publicly recognize and pay homage to the new Pope.

Traditionally, this occurred on bended knee and not prostrate and "kissing the Pope's feet!"

During the installation of Pope John Paul II, however, each Cardinal, in line of seniority, approached the new Pope and remained standing to repeat his homage while receiving his embrace and exchanging the "Kiss of Peace." (The first homage was right after his election in conclave with the kissing, while seated on "St. Peter's Chair," of the "Fisherman's Ring" by each of the Cardinals then present; the Pope's ring is presented to the new Pope by the Cardinal Camerlengo.)

Arguably, the most important event in the Pope's installation involves the placing of the "Pallium," which symbolizes the plentitude of episcopal jurisdiction he enjoys, and the universality of his rule of the Church. The Senior Cardinal Deacon performs this ceremony of investiture.

The last Supreme Pontiff to be crowned was Pope Pius XII in 1939, with the placing of the "Papal Tiara," which by this time has become adorned with 3 crowns. There is a popular belief that the three crowns symbolize "the Church Militant on earth, the Church Suffering after death and before heaven, and the Church Triumphant in eternal reward."

There has been no papal "coronation" ever since and, definitely, no "kissing of feet" nor kissing . . .

AmdG

Dear Amigo Amado (as the old Alex used to say),

I understand that the triple papal crown represents his executive, legislative and legal powers as pope - similar to those of other monarchs, althought the Pope is certainly an absolute monarch and far from a constitutional, symbolic one.

But what was the purpose behind playing down the tiara's role?

I think most Catholics like the tiara - it is still the heraldic symbol of papal authority recognized around the world.

Once again the question has to be asked - what is wrong with you Latins?

Alex

Dear Durak,

Commentaries I read about the event at the time it occurred seemed to strongly suggest the Pope was doing a "role reversal" - instead of extending his papal foot (which he would not have done in any event), bent down and kissed the foot of the Metropolitan.

Orthodox countries have historically had issues sending ambassadors or anyone to meet the Pope as this was formerly a requirement as an official greeting.

Perhaps when Pope Paul VI was making overtures to the Orthodox, a Patriarch was overheard saying, "He can kiss my foot!"

And so the Pope did . . .

Or, wait, don't go yet, I've another possible explanation!

Perhaps this was the good Pope's way of making amends for this ridiculous example of papal triumphalism that was allowed to take root in the medieval papal court and permitted to survive for as long as it had.

And this may explain why Protestant countries refused to have anything to do with Rome for so long - you know the old adage, give the Pope an inch . . .

Alex

Actually, both Blessed John XXIII and Pope Paul VI were each crowned with the papal tiara. Perhaps I should add that no "the" papal tiara really exists; those who used them had them made to fit (which is one reason why the coronation had to take place a while after the election - but the Pope took up his office immediately upon being electd). Paul VI never wore his tiara again; he magnanimously gave it to "the poor of the world" amidst blatant publicity, which is a bit amusing since "the poor of the world" turned out to mean Francis Cardinal Spellman, who may have been worldly but who was far from poor!
Both of those coronations were broadcast on television; it would be nice to locate video-recordings of them.
Incognitus

Dear Alex:

I think the triple crown on the papal tiara represents the Pope's "authority" as Supreme Pontiff: lawgiver, judge, and teacher.

In olden times, at the Pope's coronation, it was said to him: "Receive the Tiara adorned with three crowns, and know that thou art Father of Kings and Princes, Ruler of the World, and Vicar on Earth of Jesus Christ."

AmdG

Dear Incognitus:

Yes, we know that "the" papal tiara exists(ed) having been first created for Pope Pius IV in 1804 by Napoleon(?) and was last used on, and by, Pope Pius XII in 1939.

However, I have doubts whether Bl. Pope John XXIII and/or Pope Paul VI was/were crowned "officially" with the papal tiara, i.e., as an integral part of the installation liturgy or as a separate ceremony.

Please point to us where this is so!

AmdG

Dear Orthodox-Catholic,

In response to your question of why they got rid of the Papal tiara, IMHO with so much poverty around the world, it did not seem right to have the head of a Catholic (Christian) church exhibiting precious gems.

I have mentioned before the novel the "Shoes of the Fisherman" in regards to a quasi-biography of Patriarch Slipyj (UGCC). Among other issues, the novel (or movie staring Anthony Quinn) deals with the discontinuation of the use of the Papal tiara. In the novel the new Pope sells the richly adorned tiara and uses the money to help feed the world's poor. Although it is a symbolic gesture on the part of the new Pope in the novel, I think that this reasoning could be extended for the discontinuation of it's use with the real life papacy (ie: with so many hungry people in the world, should a Christian hierarch be showing off jewels ?).

I just read Incognito's response to you. It seems to be congruent with the reasoning in the novel.

So what is a person like me supose to say, do, and wear when he meets the Pope ?

I will compare your answer with what I actually said and what I was wearing just to see how badly you can humiliate me. : (hint: I did not kiss his feet)

Dear Amado:

I have an 8 mm film of John XXIII being crowned with the full pomp and pageantry of the Roman Baroque (crown being placed on his head and all).

I have photographs of Pope Paul VI being crowned.

I have also seen a film of the Paul VI coronation (crown being placed on his head and all).

The Vatican has about a dozen Papal Tiaras; I don't think that any of them were made specifically by the Vatican.

As far as I know they were all given by European Rulers or by supporters of the Papal Court.

The one you refer to was given to Pius VII by Napoleon at his coronation in Paris.

The jewels that decorated it originally came from the Vatican and were reparations demanded from the Pope as part of the treaty of Tolentino.

The most beautiful of all the Tiaras though, is the one which was used at St. Pius X coronation.

It was given to Pius IX by the ladies of the Papal Court.

They gave up their jewelry to fashion a new Tiara for the Pope as one final gesture of support for their "Papa Re" (Pope-King) before the liquidation of the Papal State.

The Tiaras are not the most valuable things in the world.

As far as I know, they are all made of silk, wire embroidery, cardboard, gilded silver (not even fine gold), with semi-precious stones.

I think that the most opulent one was given by Queen Isabella II of Spain (I have never seen a picture of a Pope wearing it).


defreitas


PS.
Nice thing that it is, the Pallium does not represent the Universal Jurisdiction of the Pope because it is not an item that is exclusive to the Papacy.

I understand that his holiness said "that it was inappropriate that a Pope should be invested only with the Pallium".

Dear Lauro:

My specific interest is: Whether the "coronation" of either Bl. Pope John XXIII or Pope Paul VI was part of the installation process signalling the commencement of his respective pontificate.

If such "coronation" was merely an "afterthought," which I personally think it was, then the "coronation" was not a "canonical" requirement as the practice ("tradition") ended with Pope Pius XII in 1939.

In the Roman Church, the "pallium" invested on the Pope is perceived differently from the "pallium" all Metropolitans are invested with before they can exercise their authority. The Pope as Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church has the entire world as his "diocese."

In this regard, the "Fisherman's Ring" to me would signify the "universal" jurisdiction of the Pope more than the tiara or the pallium as the ring is the instrument with which he seals Church documents that lends "credence and authority" to his pronouncements as Supreme Pontiff.

I am just curious.

AmdG