The pope's trip to England is still a month away, but the sale of merchandise has already begun. It's led the U.K. Catholic Herald to ask, "Does Catholic merchandising trivialise the faith?" (Note British spelling!)
A good question. I've put together Catholic Tastes enough times to know that there are a lot of T-shirts and trinkets out there. I also received plenty of glow-in-the-dark rosaries from my grandmother when I was young–too young to use them, in fact.
So much kitsch; so much plastic! These products remind me of all the party favors that end up in the trash, only because they have religious meaning, I feel guilty throwing them away.
Then again, one person's trash is another's treasure–such as my Precious Moments cross or a not-so-attractive angel statue, both gifts.
What do you treasure: plastic, Precious Moments, T-shirts, medals, or maybe an empty shelf?
