Pope Francis leaves for Brazil visit – carrying his own bag

[bemildred]

Source: Guardian.UK

Pope Francis has embarked on his first overseas voyage as head of the Roman Catholic church, carrying his own bag on to the Alitalia aircraft that will take him to his home continent for a week-long visit to Brazil.

After greeting the Italian prime minister, Enrico Letta, on the tarmac at Rome's Fiumicino airport, the 76-year-old Argentinian boarded the A330 Airbus shortly before 9am local time, shaking hands with flight attendants and appearing to wave goodbye from inside the plane.

In keeping with his trademark style, he wore a plain white cassock and carried his hand luggage – a black leather briefcase – with him up the steps and into the plane.

The papal aircraft, carrying both Vatican officials and journalists, is due to touch down in Rio de Janeiro at 4pm local time. The Catholic church's first Latin American leader is expected to speak at a welcome ceremony at around 5pm, and then meet Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/22/pope-francis-leaves-brazil-visit

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Nice pic.

[darkangel218]

1. I wonder what he carries in his luggage

[bemildred]

2. If you are going to have a Pope, that is the kind of Pope you want to have.

My guess would be there is very little in the bag. The Pope seems to understand that less is more if you want to get things done.

[darkangel218]

3. I agree, hes pretty cool for a pope.

I'm still curious what's in that bag

[Beacool]

15. Yeah, he owns very little.

I read that when he went to the Conclave last March his shoes were bought by some priest friends because they didn't want him to travel with the very old shoes he insisted in wearing in Buenos Aires. Material things are not his priority. Even as Pope he refuses to wear the red shoes that Benedict loved so much.

[bemildred]

17. Material things get in the way.

You don't really understand much until you figure that out. Look at Trump. Is he the goal? That is where obsession with posessions takes you. If you want to be free on the planet, you have to be unencumbered. We knew that well 20,000 years ago. Now we wallow in fear about our stuff that we cannot live without. We pay for it, we pay to insure it, we pay to use it, and we pay to fix it. And a few years on, we do that all again.

Stuff gets in the way. And you waste boatloads of time worrying about it, because you are responsible for it, and so on.

And 99% of it goes right in the trash when you die.

That anyone with serious pretensions to "spiritual" values spends much time on such things is all you really need to know.

[Beacool]

22. I'm starting to agree about "stuff".

I was noticing yesterday that I have too many things: too many shoes, too many purses, too many clothes, etc.

Keeping track of all this "stuff" is exhausting. It must feel liberating to have very little things to have to worry about.

[bemildred]

24. Should I mention Public Storage? Little rectangles of space at $100 a month? nt

[bemildred]

25. Carlin has a great rant about "stuff" BTW.

[Beacool]

30. Carlin was great, he's missed.

I hadn't seen that clip on "stuff" in a long time.

[KittyWampus]

44. Trying to shove material things into our inner void leaves us feeling even more empty>

just exactly like Trump.

[bemildred]

45. Yeah, he is perfect, isn't he? The Donald. nt

[Posteritatis]

43. Some slight contrasts between the two, yeah

He's still living in the hotel, too. They moved him to a different suite - he's got a living room for entertaining guests now - but that's about it.

[bemildred]

46. Exactly, less is more. nt

[Beacool]

47. What a contrast.

Benedict looks like an emperor. Francis looks like the town priest; no throne, no red shoes, no ermine trimmed garments, no gold jewelry. my kind of Pope.

[Posteritatis]

50. I like that he even removed the dais. (nt)

[Javaman]

9. extra hats. nt

[Franker65]

4. Looks like he's travelling light

Maybe he's just got a towel and swimshorts packed away.

[Ohio Joe]

5. Does he wipe his own ass as well ?

I get it... The pope is just like me

[Javaman]

10. +1 nt

[AtheistCrusader]

13. Damn.

Came here just to post this.

Oh boy, this pope doesn't roll around on his golden throne like Scrooge McDuck. Yippee. Next we'll have a news article that he farted and it in fact did smell bad. Yay.

I want to see social reforms from the Catholic church before I will acknowledge them as the 'force for good in the world' that they claim to be. That means family planning, dropping the opposition to measures that actually work to halt the spread of aids in Africa, like, for instance, condoms. Etc. Drop the opposition to same-sex couples marrying or even adopting children.

Show me the good, I don't give a shit how 'normal' the pope is.

[Beacool]

16. Then why bother reading about him?

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Self-flagellation mostly.

I can trash the thread, but until and unless I make the effort to do so, it's bumping something else down on GD.

[Paulie]

40. The church will sell ya a hair shirt if ya need one...

[Arugula Latte]

34. Breaking: "The Pope Poops in a Pot!"

Or, as they call it in Rome, he "issues a bull."

[madmom]

39. HA, I was going to ask pretty much the same thing!

[LuvNewcastle]

6. Maybe he's got Snowden with him.

[bemildred]

7. Shhh, don't want him to get stopped and inspected. These guys freak out easily you know. nt

[LuvNewcastle]

8. lol

He would be the ideal person to carry Snowden to South America, though. And there's no way that plane would be grounded or blown out of the sky.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. This is why British Airways made sure you could book in as 'His Holiness'

Mr Mrs Ms Miss Dr Herr Monsieur Hr Frau A V M Admiraal Admiral Air Cdre Air Commodore Air Marshal Air Vice Marshal Alderman Alhaji Ambassador Baron Barones Brig Brig Gen Brig General Brigadier Brigadier General Brother Canon Capt Captain Cardinal Cdr Chief Cik Cmdr Col Col Dr Colonel Commandant Commander Commissioner Commodore Comte Comtessa Congressman Conseiller Consul Conte Contessa Corporal Councillor Count Countess Crown Prince Crown Princess Dame Datin Dato Datuk Datuk Seri Deacon Deaconess Dean Dhr Dipl Ing Doctor Dott Dott sa Dr Dr Ing Dra Drs Embajador Embajadora En Encik Eng Eur Ing Exma Sra Exmo Sr F O Father First Lieutient First Officer Flt Lieut Flying Officer Fr Frau Fraulein Fru Gen Generaal General Governor Graaf Gravin Group Captain Grp Capt H E Dr H H H M H R H Hajah Haji Hajim Her Highness Her Majesty Herr High Chief His Highness His Holiness His Majesty Hon Hr Hra Ing Ir Jonkheer Judge Justice Khun Ying Kolonel Lady Lcda Lic Lieut Lieut Cdr Lieut Col Lieut Gen Lord M M L M R Madame Mademoiselle Maj Gen Major Master Mevrouw Miss Mlle Mme Monsieur Monsignor Mr Mrs Ms Mstr Nti Pastor President Prince Princess Princesse Prinses Prof Prof Dr Prof Sir Professor Puan Puan Sri Rabbi Rear Admiral Rev Rev Canon Rev Dr Rev Mother Reverend Rva Senator Sergeant Sheikh Sheikha Sig Sig na Sig ra Sir Sister Sqn Ldr Sr Sr D Sra Srta Sultan Tan Sri Tan Sri Dato Tengku Teuku Than Puying The Hon Dr The Hon Justice The Hon Miss The Hon Mr The Hon Mrs The Hon Ms The Hon Sir The Very Rev Toh Puan Tun Vice Admiral Viscount Viscountess Wg Cdr

http://boingboing.net/2004/04/28/brit-airways-honorif.html

[Swede Atlanta]

12. I am no fan of the Catholic Church but.....

so far I have hope the new pope at least acknowledges that Christ talked about humility and poverty. Francis appears, at least outwardly, to be a humble man who accepts the enormity of his position but attempts to live as simply as possible. He is taking on the vast Vatican bureaucracy especially dealing with finances. I hope he takes on the issue of sexual abuse. I have no hopes he will revive a discussion about marriage for priests or women priests but.......

[Beacool]

14. What can one say? That's how the Pope rolls.

That's also how the Jesuits roll. I like this Pope a lot. I was raised Catholic, although I have attended a Lutheran church for years, and this is the first time that I'm really excited about a Pope. I think that in his own humble way he will make some substantial changes to the Vatican. The curia must be very nervous.

[bemildred]

19. I concur.

I am very curious to see how it goes. It must be an interesting time to be a Catholic.

[Beacool]

20. He's already trying to reform the Vatican bank.

He hired outside people to do a thorough investigation, including an attorney from Harvard. He also wants the report sent directly to him. I think that he does mean business.

It's the social issues where I don't think that he'll be progressive (gay marriage and priesthood for women). We may have to wait another generation for that change. One thing that I wish the Church would do is encourage the use of birth control. It helps prevent disease and unwanted children.

[bemildred]

23. You have to start somewhere.

And he has to worry about opposition from within. However, from what I can tell of his history, i suspect he can handle himself well in the halls of power.

[Beacool]

31. Yes, I think that he can too.

[jwirr]

21. It is none of my business because I am not Catholic but while I appreciate the Pope's symbolism

I am much more interested in what he is doing about the sexual abuse problems that church has had for many years. He is working on the money changers in the temple and the carelessness of rw Catholics but what about the abuse?

[earthside]

26. What is the President of the Southern Baptist Convention doing today?

That's how much this 'news' about the pope matters.

I just think it is weird how we are all presumed to be interested in what the leader of some church is doing.

Or alerted that a guy in a robe is carrying his own suitcase.

This makes the royal baby 'news' look positively earth shattering.

[FBaggins]

27. They're missing the greater sign of his humility

He's flying Al Italia.

Unless they've changed in the last couple years, I would pay quite a bit extra to avoid using them again. Too many bad experiences.

[Initech]

28. Ain't no drag... the Pope has got a brand new bag.

[No Vested Interest]

29. It must be a happy time for Francis to be returning to his

native land, the land of his birth and life until the last few months. (I know how I feel when the plane I'm on approaches my city after even a short absence.- Home!)

And those who have known him in Brazil for those many years will be happy to once again have his presence among them.
May it be a happy visit among friends and family.

[Beacool]

32. He is from Argentina, not Brazil.

They are not one and the same. They even speak a different language.

[No Vested Interest]

33. Of course, you're correct.

I didn't check, and I admit to getting those two countries confused, and, yes, they are very different, as different as we are from the other North American countries.
I did get the impression from TV spots, though, that he will visit Argentina.
I hope so.

[Beacool]

48. Yes, they are totally different.

Different customs, food, language, music and they are bitter football rivals. Argentina and Brazil have the best teams in the Western hemisphere, Although Brazil has won more World Cups. Brazilians have samba and are fun people. Argentines, particularly those from Buenos Aires, are more melancholic as it is a nation of immigrants. Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of the South and it resembles it somewhat.

[No Vested Interest]

49. I'd love to go there sometime;

not sure if it's going to happen.

[Beacool]

51. They are both beautiful places.

I'll be visiting Buenos Aires at the end of August.

[Arugula Latte]

35. "The Pope also proclaimed that women can now be ordained and being gay is a-okay"

Okay, not really. It's still the same creepy medieval crap goin' down with the RCC.

[forestpath]

37. +1000

[Orsino]

36. As symbolic gestures go, it's another great one. n/t

[forestpath]

38. So what? He's still the head of one of the most anti-woman, anti-gay, pro-pedophile

organizations on the planet.

[freshwest]

41. The pic in question:

Feel sorry for anyone that has to wear a crown, hats, robes and the like, and being on stage all the time. As professions go, I'd turn down being royalty or any job requiring all that ritual. Takes a special person to find meaning in and be willing to live that life. Seems so stilted and unnatural. But it's the role some are willing to play for what they see as a higher purpose. I like this Pope, seems to be what many people need right now.

I say beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.

~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden
American Transcendentalist writer

[bemildred]

42. Humility at the top is hard to dislike.

He's an old man, and one doubts this is what he wanted, yes. And yet he does seem ambitious for reform. We will see.