Popes on the menu at a burger restaurant near the Vatican

The “Prevost burger,” unlike the current pope it’s named after, has nothing Peruvian or American about it: It’s a simple burger with a hamburger patty, basil pesto, and stracciatella, a tasty cheese from Puglia derived from mozzarella.

As for the “Bergoglio chicken burger,” it contains — as its name suggests — chicken, cheese, tomato, and lettuce. These ingredients are a far cry from the flavors of Rio de la Plata beef or the Argentine pontiff's favorite dish, which he liked to prepare himself when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires and wanted to recapture the Italian flavors of his childhood: tagliatelle with squid ink.

The “Ratzinger bacon cheeseburger,” for its part, has nothing Bavarian about it. With a hamburger patty, bacon, cheese, tomato, and lettuce, it seems that the chef hasn’t really studied Benedict XVI's culinary tastes.

To pay tribute to the German pontiff, however, some well-informed visitors might want to accompany their meal with a beer, or even a beer mixed with Fanta. This beverage might seem heretical or a form of dubious culinary syncretism, but it has never been the subject of a decree of prohibition by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. And for good reason: Benedict XVI was a fan!

Finally, the “Wojtyla veggie burger,” featuring a vegetable patty, is also a curiosity: veganism was not as fashionable during the pontificate of John Paul II, even if his statements on food ethics called for consideration of animal suffering. Without setting any real prohibitions — except for Fridays during Lent and Ash Wednesday — the Polish pope urged moderation in the consumption of meat. Published in 1992, the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasized that it is “contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly” (CCC 2418).

In any case, like the counter statuettes depicting Jesus among soccer stars, this tourist menu is more Roman kitsch than a true reflection of the popes' eating habits. However, the names of these burgers show that in Rome, “pope culture” has made its way into fast-food restaurants and that the popes are viewed with a certain degree of affection by the general public.

The commercial use of the image of popes is increasingly controlled, though, and the Vatican probably would not have granted its nihil obstat if it had been requested by the restaurant owners. But in reality, even if you eat the burger without using your napkin, there’s very little real risk of being put on the Index!