NEW YORK – One of the many gifts Pope Benedict will receive when he arrives in New York City next month will be a skateboard designed by a local child.
The Archdiocese of New York is holding a contest this spring to see who could design the best “Official Papal Skateboard” for the 80-year-old pontiff.
About 70 children entered the competition. A winner has yet to be picked.
The idea for the contest came from a youth skateboarding club at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Manhattan.
American Papist previously posted on the contest for the official Papal Skateboard and you can see the individual submissions here.
Now you might see the idea of a skateboard contest for the Pope to be rather silly especially with the stereotype of skaters being rebellious, non-conforming youth. But the Pope receives lots of gifts he wouldn’t personally have much use for, but amazingly this is not true in this case and I have a world exclusive.
The above is a never before seen picture showing the Pope coming off of a ramp at the secretive papal skateboard park.
Word has it that it was after the Pope saw Br. Pio Maria of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal performing and jumping over priests that he decided he would be interested in learning how to skateboard himself. Now we don’t have to worry about the Pope starting to include the number eight in words in his encyclicals, wearing baggy pants, and listening to skate punk; especially since he much prefers Mozart on his iPod while skateboarding
12 comments
Proof that many things can be done in a cassock 🙂 Go Papa Go! Those are some brave priests on the group in the second pic.
Oh. My. Gosh.
I’ve heard of Holy Rollers, but this is ridiculous!
awesome. Faith meets the culture. rockin!
Watch out Tony Hawk! Here comes PB16 grinding the (communion) rail!!
Nice pictures. I was considering the picture on the front of his book Milestones, where he would be skating between the columns at St. Peter’s square.
I’m OK with Pope Benedict skateboarding, but when he begins dropping “dude” into the encyclicals, I’m outta here.
That makes me glad the Holy Father isn’t coming to our parish. I don’t mind having to run outside the rectory, put on my “mean old Mom” face and point to the NO SKATEBOARDING sign. Except in this case…
Wow, that just kicked my self esteem down a notch because if the pope can skate board then me a teenagers should be able to not fall off of a skate board that isn’t even moving.
maybe we’ll finally see liturgical slam dancing come into fashion. I’ve been praying…
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