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Two papal tailors and no conclave orders. The conclave that begins next Wednesday to elect a successor for Pope Francis is the first in 46 years for which the Vatican hasn’t ordered a set of cassocks for the new head of the Catholic Churchat least from the two best-known papal tailors. That isnt stopping Ranieri Mancinelli, who opened his ecclesiastical tailoring shop near the Vatican in the 1960s, from making three simple white cassocks just in case: the traditional small, medium, and large sizes to cover all possible heights and girths. “I’m doing this on my own to be able to present these cassocks for the next pope, without knowing who he will be, Mancinelli said. Gammarelli, another family-run ecclesiastical tailor near the Pantheon in the historic center, has a paper trail showing it has received cassock orders for every conclave since the beginning of the 20th centuryand probably far earlier. Gammarelli has been making garments for priests, bishops, and cardinals since 1798. The last time no pre-conclave order came in to the Vatican’s tailor of choice, Gammarelli, was October 1978, when cardinal electors voted a successor to Pope John Paul I, who died after 33 days as pontiff, said Lorenzo Gammarelli, representing the sixth generation of the family business. Gammarelli won’t speculate why no order was made this year, but Italian media suggests the Vatican has enough unworn cassocks on hand, and is honoring Pope Franciss message of environmental and economic sustainability. Obviously, we’re a little sorry, because in the sadness caused by the death of the Holy Father, we still would have the beautiful thing of having to make the trousseau for the new one. Not this time,” Gammarelli said. The Vatican declined to comment on what is being viewed as the great papal cassock race. I dont think I need to speak on behalf of businesses, said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. Not every curiosity needs to be answered. The papal trousseau For a popes first encounter with the flock, the basic garment is the hand-stitched white wool cassock with cape and wide silk sleeves. The cassock is fastened by silk buttons and worn with a silk brocade sash with gold fringe. All popes, until Francis, had this sash later embroidered with his papal seal. Francis also eschewed the classic burgundy red mozzetta, a short elbow-length cape worn for formal occasions, and a gold embroidered stole, not only the night of his election but throughout his papacy. The papal garb is finished with a white zucchetto, or skullcap that is also worn by cardinals in red and bishops in purple. When they are called on to provide a conclave order, Gammarelli also provides shoes in an array of sizes so the new pope will be comfortable when presented to his flock. After that, Gammarelli said, shoes are a very personal matter.” Francis favored plain black shoes and was buried in a pair with the scuff marks showing. In keeping with the secrecy of the conclave, Gammarelli never reveals papal prices. Sizing up the next pope While the world speculates on who will be the next pope, Gammarelli’s job is more practical. The family has a system to best outfit the unknown successor, using data from their cardinal clients and sizing up cardinal candidates who are not. “We consider who, in our opinion, could be elected,” Gammarelli said. “We pull out their measurements, and we make three cassocks that would more or less fit all of them. Balcony mishaps Their best guesses are sometimes off. Gammarelli said they never imagined that Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla would become pope in October 1978. They had considered Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio a candidate in 2005 (when Benedict XVI was elected) but not in 2013, when Bergoglio became the churchs first Latin American pope. Back in 1958, the portly John XXIII appeared on the balcony of St. Peters Basilica with safety pins holding together the back of his cassock, after a too-small size was mistakenly grabbed, forcing aides to open the back. Gammarelli said that throughout Francis’s 12-year papacy, he tried to persuade the pope to wear white pants under his cassock. But Francis stuck with the black trousers of a priest, a reminder to himself and everyone that he was a pastor at heart. Franciss unadorned style Mancinelli, at his shop just steps from the Vatican, has made cassocks for the last three popes: St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. He got to know Benedict when he was a cardinal, living near Mancinellis shop. Francis later invited him to his apartment in the Santa Marta residence, marking the beginning of a very pleasant encounter period. While Gammarelli won’t make the cassocks on speculation, Mancinelli is making three to give to the Vatican, in Franciss simple, unadorned style, all in white. Compared with the other two, Francis preferred much simpler and much more practical things,” he said, also taking costs into account. Only after the words Habemus Papam! are announced from the balcony of St. Peters Basilica will it be clear whether the Catholic Churchs 267th pontiff will follow Franciss unembellished example or will bring back traditional papal trappings, like flashes of red. Colleen Barry, Associated Press Associated Press video journalist Silvia Stellacci contributed to this report.
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E-Commerce
The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday filed lawsuits against Hawaii and Michigan over their planned legal action against fossil fuel companies for harms caused by climate change, claiming the states’ actions conflict with federal government authority and President Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda. The suits, which legal experts say are unprecedented, mark the latest of the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental work and raise concern over states’ abilities to retain the power to take climate action without federal opposition. In court filings, the DOJ said the Clean Air Acta federal law authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate air emissionscreates a comprehensive program for regulating air pollution in the United States and ‘displaces’ the ability of states to regulate greenhouse gas emissions beyond their borders. The DOJ argues that Hawaii and Michigan are violating the intent of the act that enables the EPA authority to set nationwide standards for greenhouse gases, citing the states pending litigation against oil and gas companies for alleged climate damage. Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel last year tapped private law firms to go after the fossil fuel industry for negatively affecting the state’s climate and environment. Meanwhile, Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green plans to target fossil fuel companies that he said should take responsibility for their role in the state’s climate impacts, including 2023’s deadly Lahaina wildfire. When burned, fossil fuels release emissions such as carbon dioxide that warm the planet. Both states’ law claims impermissibly regulate out-of-state greenhouse gas emissions and obstruct the Clean Air Acts comprehensive federal-state framework and EPAs regulatory discretion, DOJ’s court filings said. The DOJ also repeated the Republican presidents claims of Americas energy emergency and crisis. At a time when states should be contributing to a national effort to secure reliable sources of domestic energy, Hawaii and Michigan are choosing to stand in the way, the filings said. A spokesperson for Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmers office deferred to Nessel when asked for comment. This lawsuit is at best frivolous and arguably sanctionable,” Nessel said in a statement, which noted that Michigan hasnt filed a lawsuit. “If the White House or Big Oil wish to challenge our claims, they can do so when our lawsuit is filed; they will not succeed in any attempt to preemptively bar our access to make our claims in the courts. I remain undeterred in my intention to file this lawsuit the president and his Big Oil donors so fear. Green’s office and the Hawaii Attorney General’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But legal experts raised concern over the government’s arguments. Michael Gerrard, founder and faculty director of the Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, said it’s usual procedure the DOJ is asking a court to intervene in pending environmental litigationas is the case in some instances across the country. While this week’s suits are consistent with Trumps plans to oppose state actions that interfere with energy dominance, its highly unusual, Gerrard told The Associated Press. What we expected is they would intervene in the pending lawsuits, not try to preempt or prevent a lawsuit from being filed. Its an aggressive move in support of the fossil fuel industry. It raises all kinds of eyebrows,” he added. Its an intimidation tactic, and its telling the fossil fuel companies how much Trump loves them. Ann Carlson, an environmental law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has previously consulted on climate litigation, said this weeks lawsuits look like DOJ grasping at straws, noting that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said his agency is seeking to overturn a finding under the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. So on the one hand, the U.S. is saying Michigan, and other states, cant regulate greenhouse gases because the Clean Air Act does so and therefore preempts states from regulating, Carlson said. On the other hand, the U.S. is trying to say that the Clean Air Act should not be used to regulate. The hypocrisy is pretty stunning. Trump’s administration has aggressively targeted climate policy in the name of fossil fuel investment. Federal agencies have announced plans to bolster coal power, roll back landmark water and air regulations, block renewable energy sources, and double down on oil and gas expansion. The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Alexa St. John, Associated Press Associated Press writer Isabella Volmert contributed to this report.
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E-Commerce
Shares of Kohls Corporation (NYSE: KSS) were up nearly 10% on Thursday after the company fired CEO Ashley Buchanan after just four months on the job. It appointed board chair Michael Bender as interim chief executive officer effective immediately. Buchanan’s termination comes after an investigation by the Kohl’s board found he violated the companys code of conduct twice, and was involved in undisclosed conflicts of interest stemming from a personal relationship with a vendor, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Buchanan’s termination is unrelated to the company’s performance, financial reporting, results of operations, and did not involve any other company personnel,” Kohl’s explained in a statement. The former CEO had a total compensation package worth more than $20 million, according to USA Today. Bender and other company executives held an all-hands meeting on Thursday to address the changes and reassure staff, the WSJ reported. Bender’s appointment as interim CEO makes him the fourth CEO in three years to head the struggling retailer, which continues to face declining sales. In connection with the leadership announcement on Thursday, Kohls provided preliminary expectations for its first-quarter financial results, forecasting sales would likely be down around 4%. It will report those earnings at the end of the month, on May 29, at 9 a.m. Like many retailers, Kohl’s has been struggling with declining sales and decreasing foot traffic, as consumers spend less money due to the skyrocketing cost of living, and spend less time shopping in stores versus online.
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