Loafers for the Pope
Sir: It is not good that an excellent periodi- cal such as The Spectator should be perpet- uating the myth that the Pope wears Doc Martens, even if it is via a cartoon (9 March). As I am sure you know, this silly claim was described as 'sheer nonsense' by the Holy See, a fact reported in the Times on Monday 4 March.
`Watch out for thick, dense drivers.' As in other matters of vesture, Pope John Paul has a disregard for his shoes that caus- es the papal tailors (and until 1978 caused the papal cobblers), Gammarelli's, consid- erable despair. Not for Papa Wojtyla the jewel-encrusted crimson silk papal slippers worn by his predecessors. In fact, the Pope wears an assortment of battered loafers in black or oxblood which can be purchased in many a supermarket in Rome. Hoping you will forgive me for setting the record straight.
The Reverend Philip A. Smyth
St Dominic's Presbytery, Jubilee Road, Dursley, Gloucestershire
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