Speak Ye Uncomfortably to Jerusalem
The mail has brought a packet of advertising from a big Protestant outfit called the Christian Purchasing Network. Among the ads is one with this headline: “Most Comfortable Church Chair in America!” Below that are a photo of the chair and a list of its virtues, among them:
Premium Comfort Best Value
New ComfortWeb Seat An Innovation
Never “Bottom Out” Again
It’s Like Sitting on a Cloud.
That’s good ad copy — straightforward and enthusiastic — but it arouses curious sensations. No, not because it promises “an innovation,” though the NOR is known for carefully scrutinizing claims involving that word. The odd sensations are aroused by the offer to make worshipers supremely comfortable in church. A comfortable seat at the ballgame is good. A comfortable seat at the opera would be nice. A comfortable chair at your desk can make the workday pleasanter. But in church?
You May Also Enjoy
American Catholics must be careful not to be more American than Catholic, especially since American politics is essentially Protestant.
Pope Francis well knows that whenever he speaks into a microphone, he is addressing not only those present but the whole world, in his capacity as leader of the Catholic Church. Therefore, his words are open to scrutiny.
Knowing Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari's habit of not taking notes during interviews, why does Francis continue to allow him to stir up controversy and cause PR headaches for the Vatican?