# Does the pope wear pants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358 "2013-12-15T05:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/1 "2013-12-15T05:45:05Z")
Every picture I see of Pope Francis, he’s in his official white robe. Of course, those are public photo op-type situations, so I understand the desire to present a certain image. But when he’s in the Papal cubicle, writing exhortations, signing paychecks, creating spreadsheets, drafting sermons, etc., does he wear casual clothes, like khakis and a button-down shirt? Does he have a personal stash of clothes for lounging around the Papal apartment? I found [this](http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=591767)from 2011 that says Benedict and JP II didn’t go casual, but Francis seems to be a bit more of a rebel/common man than those Princes of Apostles, and I was wondering if there’s any word on his personal clothing style. So, 1) does Pope Francis wear pants? And 2) are there any photos of past popes dressed casually (during their time as pope)? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/2 "2013-12-15T06:50:12Z")
Priests generally wear trousers underneath their cassocks. Francis evidently wears black trousers, while Benedict wore white ones. I would imagine he sometimes doesn’t put his cassock on when he is lounging around his Vatican apartment, but there would be very few that would see him that way. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/3 "2013-12-15T07:00:19Z")
Picture of JPII on a [skiing expedition](http://www.quora.com/The-Papacy/Is-The-Pope-ever-allowed-to-wear-casual-clothes). [QUOTE=Colibri] …while Benedict wore white ones [/QUOTE] I thought he would have worn the uniform of the Panzer troops! No disrespect mean to Roman Catholics. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/4 "2013-12-15T17:42:35Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Picture of JPII on a [skiing expedition](http://www.quora.com/The-Papacy/Is-The-Pope-ever-allowed-to-wear-casual-clothes). > I thought he would have worn the uniform of the Panzer troops!. That’s a bit harsh, considering he was drafted out of the seminary, and ended up as an anti-aircraft Luftwaffe crewman before being retrained as an infantryman (like just about everyone at that point in 1945). ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/5 "2013-12-15T18:57:49Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Priests generally wear trousers underneath their cassocks. Francis evidently wears black trousers, while Benedict wore white ones. So he’s Black Francis, huh? I didn’t know he was still working with The Catholics… ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/6 "2013-12-15T19:33:19Z")
“Holy Father, is anything worn under your robes?” “No, my son. Never used and like new.” ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/7 "2013-12-15T20:20:21Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > …I thought he would have worn the uniform of the Panzer troops!.. You lose. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/8 "2013-12-15T20:21:29Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > “Holy Father, is anything worn under your robes?” > “No, my son. Never used and like new.” Next week, some bonnie lassies investigate what is worn under the kilt. Tune in to find out what ensues. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/9 "2013-12-15T23:49:30Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Next week, some bonnie lassies investigate what is worn under the kilt. Tune in to find out what ensues. “Och, it’s gruesome” ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/10 "2013-12-15T23:58:27Z")
- Does the pope wear pants? - Not when he shits in the woods. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/11 "2013-12-16T03:49:06Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Picture of JPII on a [skiing expedition](http://www.quora.com/The-Papacy/Is-The-Pope-ever-allowed-to-wear-casual-clothes). Quick note on links to that website. If you haven’t been there in a while, and you don’t have an account, it will lie and say that you need an account to even read the content. Simply refresh the page and you will be able to read the content. (I have not yet experimented with adblocking the warning that covers up the content.) The content of the site is often pretty good, as people will quote things and provide citations, so I don’t know why they would think it was a good idea to try and trick people like this. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/12 "2013-12-16T04:04:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Simply refresh the page and you will be able to read the content. I was mistaken. I’ve never bothered reading more than the first answer. They still block the rest. What a horrible, horrible way to run a site. It actually makes me give a begrudging amount of respect to Stack Overflow, as I just remembered that this is the site they were trying to make irrelevant. Too bad they have their own problems with participation, that it’s much much harder for newer users to gain enough reputation to do anything. Still, it’s better than trying to block them out entirely. BTW, [here](http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/159399)’s how to fix it: add “?share=1” to the URL, like so: [http://www.quora.com/The-Papacy/Is-The-Pope-ever-allowed-to-wear-casual-clothes?share=1](http://www.quora.com/The-Papacy/Is-The-Pope-ever-allowed-to-wear-casual-clothes?share=1) ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/13 "2013-12-16T09:48:35Z")
> [@bump](#): > > That’s a bit harsh, considering he was drafted out of the seminary, and ended up as an anti-aircraft Luftwaffe crewman before being retrained as an infantryman (like just about everyone at that point in 1945). My reference was to his repuatation as JPII’s de facto deputy. One of the nicer nicknames he had was _Panzer Cardinal_. _Achtung! Gottes Rottweiler_!\* - Which was another one of his nicknames as the High Inquisitor. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/14 "2013-12-17T02:20:39Z")
I always saw it written as (correct German, I assume) _das Panzerkardinal_. Even when taking an outdoor stroll, JPII might wear his robes: [http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c305/benodette/Q4%2009%20-%20Q1%2010/0001JPvacation.jpg](http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c305/benodette/Q4%2009%20-%20Q1%2010/0001JPvacation.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/15 "2013-12-17T16:01:29Z")
It is not that uncommon at all these days to see ordinary catholic clergymen (i. e. not bishops, cardinals and the like) wearing jeans and t-shirts in public. However, the previous popes grew up in a world - and became priests - when this was not the case. Some years ago, I watched a documentary about young, beautiful people vacationing in a fancy resort on the coast of the Mediterranean. Turned out that one particularly handsome young man wearing shorts and a colourful shirt actually was a catholic priest, something that was probably unthinkable, say, 30 or 40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/16 "2013-12-17T19:26:36Z")
This book on rejected _New Yorker_ covers might be of interest: [http://d1xcqlxj49e9dd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/Blown-Covers-cover.jpg](http://d1xcqlxj49e9dd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/Blown-Covers-cover.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![samronald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@samronald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samronald)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/17 "2013-12-18T13:40:59Z")
Twenty years ago, author and psychiatrist M. Scott Peck gave a lecture in which he asserted that the biblical phrase “The Kingdom of God is within you” has been mistranslated and misunderstood throughout history. Dr. Peck said that if you go back to the original Aramaic, in which that piece of Scripture is written, what it actually says is: “The Kingdom of God is AMONG you.” That is, the Kingdom of God is in community. “Wherever two or more are gathered, God is there.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/18 "2013-12-18T15:08:19Z")
What does that have to do with anything in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/19 "2013-12-18T15:36:19Z")
> [@samronald](#): > > “Wherever two or more are gathered, God is there.” > [@Chronos](#): > > What does that have to do with anything in this thread? Presumably that includes pants legs. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358/20 "2013-12-18T19:16:42Z")
Does that mean amputees couldn’t be Pope? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pope-wear-pants/676358.md?page=2)