Vatican: Cardinals oppose the opening of a MacDonald’s

A group of seven Roman cardinals wrote to Pope Francis to protest against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant a few steps from Vatican City.

According to Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, former president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on October 15, 2016, “It is at the least a perverse and controversial decision.” The prelate considers that the presence of this establishment “at the right hand of the Vatican basilica” is “disrespectful” to one of the most emblematic architectural squares that opens onto the columns of St. Peter’s. The cardinals also deplore the fact that they were not consulted at the time of the transaction. They point out that the Holy See will have to pay for the construction work necessary to install the restaurant in the building.

The renting of the venue is overseen by the company ASPA that is in charge of managing the Vatican’s real estate goods. Quoted by Le Figaro on October 15, 2016, its director, Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, does “not see where the scandal is.” He adds that there is no reason to go back on a perfectly legal agreement that should bring in 30,000€ a month for the Vatican. According to the press agency I.Media on October 18, 2016, this sum could finance the mission of the Church in Oceania. – Money has no smell, not even the smell of fries. 30,000 euro are odorless, but if they must be given up it would not be painless. And after all, as Michel Audiard said somewhere: “Ah! If it’s for a cause, then well! Well,that’s different.”

(sources: apic/lefigaro/imedia – DICI no.343 dated Oct. 28, 2016)