Day 5 cont. - holy vestments!

There is a street in the old part of Rome - Via dei Cestari – that contains several shops selling ecclesiastical clothing and items.  It seems odd to think of Catholic bishops and cardinals shopping for underwear and getting robes made by Jewish tailors, but then again, why not?

And if a shop sells items to one group of people, are they not then available to all, given the global marketplace in which we live?

We thus entered one such establishment (Ghezzi - the least intimidating to the lay person!) and marvelled at the robes, and statuary and goblets and icons available for purchase.  One could furnish an entire house with what is sold there.  Or rather, an entire cathedral.

In the end both boys came away with knee length socks in cardinal magenta and bishop purple.

They are made of very thin cotton, so let's hope that over time they do not become too hole-y.