The first dinner of the conclave was, in a word, forgettable. "Rather plain," recalled Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey. After hours cloistered inside the Sistine Chapel on May 7, with the world watching for smoke — almost certainly black — he and the other cardinals returned to Casa Santa Marta on the other side of the Vatican for a meal that matched the mood: subdued, restrained, utilitarian.
"I do remember there was quite a contrast between the meals we were served during the conclave, which were rather simple, and for an Italian kitchen, which is universally exalted for its variety and creativity, rather plain. And then I noticed that the evening of the 8th, after we had done our job, there was a very lovely meal served," Tobin said.
"I could only conclude they didn't want us to get too comfortable."
Read Full Article »