By Nadia Arumugam, Contributor

Almost every news report and piece of analysis I have read since late yesterday afternoon about the new Pope has made mention of his  propensity for a simple life and his wealth of humility. Mere hours after his papal election, Pope Francis shunned the papal limousine and chose to ride back to Domus Sanctae Marthae, the hospitality residence on the edge of Vatican City where the cardinals were staying during the conclave, for the cardinals’ final communal meal. The New York Time notes how on Thursday after early morning  prayers, the Pope checked out of  the residence, picked up his baggage and paid the bill himself. But, what struck me most was that every report specifically mentioned that the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, an Argentine, would cook his own meals in his small apartment in downtown Buenos Aires. This got me thinking.  Will Francis necessarily be thrust into a life of being waited upon hand and foot, a life in which a team of chefs would churn out Roman feasts of homemade pasta and other delectables? Will he even have the means to cook for himself anymore, should he want to? The menu in the lavish surroundings of Vatican City are not as indulgent as one might expect them to be, especially if the meals of the 115 participating cardinals during the papal conclave is anything to go by. According to the Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, nuns from the Sistine Chapel prepared  “meals of soup, spaghetti, small meat kebabs and boiled vegetables,” similar to fare served in hospitals. “All of the cardinals consider these dishes as rather forgettable compared to the menus at the restaurants in Rome,” the paper noted. But there was good reason why the repasts were so austere; mealtimes during the conclave were intended solely to nourish and not to distract the cardinals from the task at hand; choosing the next pope. In fact, there was concern that especially enjoyable meals might even serve to prolong the voting process. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest