Friday, November 16, 2007

Benedict started smoking at 75


I found this amusing little extract from a longer article.

In 1724 Pietro Francesco Orsini was elected Pope Benedict XIII. At age 75, he had argued that due to his age and frailty he ought not to receive the post, but he shouldered it with humility—and the same year took up smoking. (He lived six more years.)

8 comments:

Dr. Peter H. Wright said...

What a very sensible man.

Perhaps he decided not to smoke while he was "sitting" for the painter.

But, looking at his right hand in the portrait, he appears to have been holding a large Corona.

On the side of the angels said...

eight years and not one puff...
Then I started work in a factory at 6a.m., and by 7.22 was back on them...

Ttony said...

There has been a persistent rumour that the Holy Father is a 40-a-day man: can anybody confirm or deny it?

Anonymous said...

its always good to hear of someone starting to smoke

Mulier Fortis said...

Heheheh... I took a few liberties with the Supreme Pontiff's portrait, which you might want to go and view here

Anagnostis said...

I LOVE smoking, especially my deeply mourned, untipped Gitanes. I smoked for 25 years but haven't touched a cigarette, pipe or cigar since 31.12.1999. Every day since has been a struggle with bereavement. I look over the newsagent's shoulder with sick longing at those packets in their neat rows, like the photographs of lost loved ones.

That poor Pope must certainly have benefitted from a strongly peristaltic shot of nicotine. He looks, poor chap, like somebody's description of Coleridge, in consequence of his opium habit: "green at the gills, and a stranger to the lavatory".

Anagnostis said...

Papal smoking quiz:

Which Pontiff, exhorted the Jesuits (of all people) to abjure the demon weed as follows: "Auferatur haec abusus in medio nostro!"?

Anonymous said...

Oh Mac
I was going to point out to the Doctor that the reason poor benedict looks so miserable was because someone did pinch his "precious".

I see you not only returned his "precious" but have given him a suitable facial makeover too. LOL - you're very thorough.

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