Our father, who arch in heaven: McDonald’s opens near Vatican and locals aren’t thrilled
The New York Times reports that a McDonald’s location opened last week “within eyeshot” of the Vatican, angering several of the area’s senior Roman Catholic leaders and presumably sabotaging their New Year’s diet resolutions. Last October, Cardinal Elio Sgreccia told Italian paper La Repubblica that the restaurant was a “disgrace” and “not at all respectful of the architectural and urban traditions of one of the most characteristic squares overlooking the colonnade of St. Peter.” He’s also got beef with the food itself, calling it “a business decision that ignores the culinary tradition of Roman cuisine.”
Meanwhile, a group of locals calling themselves the Committee for the Protection of Borgo are decrying the denigration of what they feel to be sacred land. Citing the area’s proliferation of opportunistic street vendors, they call the restaurant a “decisive blow on an already wounded animal.” As for McDonald’s, Eater shared this statement from the burger chain: