Chow Line for “Cafeteria Catholics” (heh)

Posted on 25 July 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From Vatican Radio:

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis made a surprise visit on Friday to the Vatican’s canteen for its employees. He turned up there unexpected shortly after noon much to everybody’s astonishment and after taking a tray and cutlery joined the line with all the employees to be served his lunch. Staff at the canteen said he ate pasta without sauce and cod served with grilled tomatoes. He ate his lunch at a long table alongside a group of various employees. Describing the papal visit as “like a thunderbolt out of the blue,” the canteen’s chef Franco Pai’ni said the Pope was introduced to the staff and others there and asked them questions about themselves and their work. Afterwards, he paid them compliments on the quality of the food, gave his blessing and took part in a group photo before leaving.

As a priest friend Fr Keyes said: Gives a new meaning to Cafeteria Catholic.

20140725-120234-43354097.jpg

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in SESSIUNCULA. Bookmark the permalink.

16 Comments

  1. Allan S. says:
    25 July 2014 at 12:50 PM

    Is this an Eye of the Tiber thing? Or is the Holy Father on a mission to make all satire of his pontificate redundant?

  2. Unwilling says:
    25 July 2014 at 12:53 PM

    I don’t see anything wrong with him doing that sort of thing. Anyway, doctrinally.

  3. LarryW2LJ says:
    25 July 2014 at 1:09 PM

    Fish on Friday – nice!

  4. ajf1984 says:
    25 July 2014 at 1:27 PM

    I had two thoughts on this post (which, Allan S., is indeed legitimate: http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/news/detail/articolo/francesco-francis-francisco-35435/). First, shouldn’t the post title be “Ciao Line”? Second, I couldn’t figure out why His Holiness would prefer pasta without sauce, and then it dawned on me: best not to take chances with the papal cassock!

  5. The_Scott says:
    25 July 2014 at 1:33 PM

    Truly a shepherd smelling like his sheep. And the sheep’s food. ;)

  6. amymev says:
    25 July 2014 at 1:54 PM

    Thankfully he had fish!

  7. Steven Surrency says:
    25 July 2014 at 2:32 PM

    He really is going out of his way not to have ANY red on that white cassock. “Pasta please. Hold the mozzetta, errr, marinara. “

  8. Gregg the Obscure says:
    25 July 2014 at 2:33 PM

    Seems like a good way for the Holy Father to show appreciation for the people who keep the place running.

  9. SimonDodd says:
    25 July 2014 at 3:18 PM

    Where is his pellegrina?

  10. ppb says:
    25 July 2014 at 4:18 PM

    A nice gesture. My first thought was that the lack of pasta sauce might be an additional form of penance. But yes, there is the whole issue of red sauce on white cloth!

  11. acardnal says:
    25 July 2014 at 5:47 PM

    Several photos of Pope Francis at lunch in the cafeteria.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/25/pope-francis-cafeteria_n_5621154.html

  12. Gaetano says:
    25 July 2014 at 5:57 PM

    A liberal portion of cod and a conservative number of fries….

  13. Luvadoxi says:
    25 July 2014 at 6:01 PM

    Lovely! I love this–it makes me so happy to see him do this. Thank you Father Z, and thank you acardnal for the extra photos. :)

  14. Bosco says:
    25 July 2014 at 8:40 PM

    “Pope Francis made a surprise visit….” Thank goodness there were any number of people in the caf with cameras at the ready just in case the Bishop of Rome might make an unannounced visit!

  15. SimonDodd says:
    27 July 2014 at 8:57 AM

    Bosco, I’m not in the business of defending Francis, but it’s 2014. Aren’t most of us walking around with cameras (inter alia) in our pockets? How many of those photos were created with iPhones or Droids? It’s Rome, not Mogadishu.

  16. Suburbanbanshee says:
    27 July 2014 at 12:18 PM

    The other story I saw said that “without sauce” means the Vatican cafeteria still gives you butter or olive oil on top. Possibly because Mom.

Comments are closed.