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Elephant in the room - should a pope have a pet elephant?

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
Seems the pope in the time of Luther was given a pet elephant named Hanno and was quite attached to Hanno. Sadly Hanno was sickly and the popes doctors try as they may could not revive Hanno but gave Hanno gold to eat in the hopes of causing constipation and reviving poor Hanno... to no avail.... Hanna died.
Pope Leo wrote a poetic eulogy, Rachael made a fresco all to Hanno.... but how does this bring Glorry to God compared to say, reforms and prayers of reformers like Luther at the time? Which is more glorifying

quote from Wiki Hanno (the elephant)
Under this great hill I lie buried

Mighty elephant which the King Manuel
Having conquered the Orient
Sent as captive to Pope Leo X.
At which the Roman people marvelled, --
A beast not seen for a long time,
And in my brutish breast they perceived human feelings.
Fate envied me my residence in the blessed Latium
And had not the patience to let me serve my master a full three years.
But I wish, oh gods, that the time which Nature would have assigned to me,
and Destiny stole away,
You will add to the life of the great Leo.

He lived seven years
He died of angina
He measured twelve palms in height.
Giovanni Battista Branconio dell'Aquila
Privy chamberlain to the pope
And provost of the custody of the elephant,
Has erected this in 1516, the 8th of June,
In the fourth year of the pontificate of Leo X.

That which Nature has stolen away
Raphael of Urbino with his art has restored.
unquote

How does this monument glorify God and contrast with Luther

“I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
I'm no Christian, but it seems to me that instead of comparing a negative trait about a pope with a positive trait of a reformer, you should compare two positive traits or two negative traits. So your post can look like something like this:

Seems the pope in the time of Luther was given a pet elephant named Hanno and was quite attached to Hanno. Sadly Hanno was sickly and the popes doctors try as they may could not revive Hanno but gave Hanno gold to eat in the hopes of causing constipation and reviving poor Hanno... to no avail.... Hanna died.
Pope Leo wrote a poetic eulogy, Rachael made a fresco all to Hanno.... but how does this bring Glorry to God compared to say, calls for the razing of synagogues and destroying of Jewish property from like Luther called for at the time? Which is more glorifying
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Anyone who has had a pet knows of the bond of love that can form. It's a positive thing.
 

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
I'm no Christian, but it seems to me that instead of comparing a negative trait about a pope with a positive trait of a reformer, you should compare two positive traits or two negative traits. So your post can look like something like this:

Seems the pope in the time of Luther was given a pet elephant named Hanno and was quite attached to Hanno. Sadly Hanno was sickly and the popes doctors try as they may could not revive Hanno but gave Hanno gold to eat in the hopes of causing constipation and reviving poor Hanno... to no avail.... Hanna died.
Pope Leo wrote a poetic eulogy, Rachael made a fresco all to Hanno.... but how does this bring Glorry to God compared to say, calls for the razing of synagogues and destroying of Jewish property from like Luther called for at the time? Which is more glorifying

Not excusing Luther for making mistakes but an apples to apples would not be pet to persecution
it would be a comparison of the levels of persecution under the two sides
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
Not excusing Luther for making mistakes but an apples to apples would not be pet to persecution
it would be a comparison of the levels of persecution under the two sides
Disregarding your whitewashing Luther's antisemitism as a "mistake", some might say that comparing the pope's having a pet to a prayer Luther made, might just also not be a case of apples to apples.
 

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
Disregarding your whitewashing Luther's antisemitism as a "mistake", some might say that comparing the pope's having a pet to a prayer Luther made, might just also not be a case of apples to apples.

Perhaps. He also had various views in his life so one would need to compare the various views and how he stuck with those views and also consider the times as the Pope may have sounded anti semitic as well. Unlike the Pope Luther would not be considered infallible
 
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