Choosing the pope over pizza? How the cardinals' choice of eatery can decide the next pontiff

First Post

30-04-2025

On May 7, the College of Cardinals will meet under the roof of the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis' successor at the conclave. However, discussions and lobbying for this important position occurs earlier at tiny eateries near the Vatican over pasta, pizza and other Italian food read more
Chinese cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-Yan (C) arrives for the seventh congregation meeting at The Vatican. Cardinals from around the world dine in the quiet streets of the Borgo district on the outskirts of Vatican City. AFP
The coming week is significant for the Catholic Church. On May 7, cardinals, who have converged in Vatican City following the demise of Pope Francis, will meet under the roof of the Sistine Chapel where they will decide the new head of the Church.
However, very few are aware that the decision on who should be the next pontiff is actually decided in the small eateries around the Vatican over plates of lasagne, bottles of Chianti and lots of tiramisu, rather than in the Sistine Chapel.
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As we gear up for the all-important conclave, we take a closer look at how cardinals are campaigning for votes over meals and bottles of wine.
'Gnocchi negotiations' and 'tagliatelle talks'
Many cardinals who are in Vatican City this week ahead of the conclave are using this time to engage in conversations on the state of the Church and the challenges it faces. However, these deep conversations aren't occurring in Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican residence, but in the small, enchanting eateries that are all around Borgo, the small grid of streets next to the Vatican.
As Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and Vatican expert, told The Telegraph, 'The period before the cardinals go into the conclave is absolutely key. It is when they get to have dinners, coffee and drinks, and to have informal conversations where they can talk to candidates. They will be asking, how does he relate to me, what is his position on various issues?'
He further added that it is very possible that this time's pope is elected over a slice of pizza. Notably, in 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II, a group of cardinals had met in Al Passetto di Borgo, a restaurant, and decided to lobby for German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. The rest, as they say, is history. He was elected and became Pope Benedict XVI.
'All these informal conversations are extremely important before they go into the conclave because when they are in the Sistine Chapel it is in total silence, except for voting. There's no conversation,' added Father Reese, a columnist for the Catholic news outlet Religion News Service.
The cardinals often venture into small eateries in Borgo. However, they often opt for simple attire, as they don't want to be identified. Representational image/AFP
What's on the menu
The restaurants around the Vatican say they are aware of the cardinals they are serving. However, when asked who visits, they keep mum.
However, reports have stated that Tre Pupazzi is often patronised by the cardinals. There's also Il Papalino — which means 'one who supports the pope' — that offers the cardinals, who are also referred to as 'Princes of the Church', a more discreet dining environment in a back room away from the crowds.
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The trattoria named Marcantonio, named after the two brothers who own it, are also a popular choice among the cardinals. Antonio Statuto, one of the brothers, even told The Times, 'They come here for lunch and dinner. We mostly get foreign cardinals rather than Italians.'
And what do these cardinals like to eat? Pietro Parolin, who is considered as one of the contenders in the papal race, loves his oven-baked fish. Meanwhile, Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik from South Korea prefers spaghetti with mussels, clams and prawns followed by a plate of grilled calamari.
Most of the eatery owners maintain that the cardinals have 'simple' tastes. For instance, Federica Gianmaria, the owner of Arlu, says that most of the cardinals enjoying typical Roman staples like saltimbocca — the veal cutlets — burrata cheese, and pasta with the carbonara sauce made from fatty cured pork, hard pecorino cheese and eggs.
Even Anna Maria Scialanga of Il Papalino agrees. 'They eat very simple fare, they eat our typical Roman cuisine, which is 'poor', she told AFP. This includes dishes such as pasta with amatriciana (tomato, pecorino and pork jowl), gricia (pecorino, black pepper and smoke pork jowl), or carbonara sauces.
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'For their second course, they take Roman saltimbocca, normally, tripe or oxtail.'
Clients eat ice cream in front of a shop at Borgo Pio near The Vatican. Owners of gelato stores note that often times the cardinals indulge in their sweet tooth. AFP
Cardinals' love for gelato
Eatery owners around St Peter's Square note that most of the cardinals have a sweet tooth, favouring Italy's ever-famous gelato.
As Giuseppe Longobardi, the owner of the famous L'Arena del Gelato store, told AFP, 'Many cardinals, bishops and archbishops have come here in the last 13 years.' One such example is Nicaraguan cardinal Leopoldo Solorzano, who ordered the 'vanilla ice-cream in a small pot'.
Another favourite among the cardinals is the 'dulce de leche', or caramelised milk, which was created in honour of Pope Francis as a tribute to the popular sweet spread from his homeland, Argentina.
Notably, once the conclave begins all of these cardinals will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel where they will be provided simple meals of soup, spaghetti, small meat kebabs and boiled vegetables cooked by the nuns.
With inputs from agencies