What Does the Pope Eat for Lunch?

We returned to Jerusalem from Ein Kerem and decided to wander through the Christian section of the Old City. One narrow passage-way ended at a series of small shops. One Arab merchant stood in front of his shop, soliciting customers with a combination of monologue and questions for anybody who would listen. An American couple approached from the right to ask directions to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. “Go down there and turn left,” he happily responded, and then with a two second pause for perfect timing, he pointed to the entrance to his shop and added, “or you can take this shortcut.”

Working our way through along the ancient stone streets and the stone walls in different stages of repair, through what often seems like a maze from the middle ages, we came upon the Latin patriarchate, the office of the church in the Jerusalem region, but not the official Vatican offices, which are located on the Mt. of Olives. The flags draped across the narrow streets and the prominence of the archway suggested that this was an important building related to the visit. It was the two young, dashing, handsome, smiling young men standing in the archway that really drew our attention. One was dressed in a starch white chef’s jacket, and a bright white fedora with a striking black band, and his companion was dressed in a black shirt, a black kerchief tied over his head, and a long black chef’s apron. These two wonderfully charming guys had catered yesterday’s “lunch with ordinaries from the Holy Land” hosted by the Pope Benedict. Are you curious about the menu? Apparently, (and I hope this isn’t a state secret) the Pope is allergic to seafood and mushrooms, so that was definitely not on the menu. He was served tabouli, lamb with special Oriental spices, fresh seasonal berries with a rosewater sorbet, biscuits and coffee. We explored the courtyard of the patriarchate where crates of dirty dishes, empty Italian mineral water bottles, and other assorted catering detritus were waiting to be cleared from the premises. It was apparent that a good time was had by all.