Catholic Author Says McDonald's Is Sinful
L O N D O N, Nov. 15 -- Long the scourge of anti-globalization protesters, McDonald’s is now being condemned for religious reasons after being declared fit only for atheists, or perhaps Protestants.
Recent headlines in two popular Italian newspapers have, tongue-in-cheek, even gone so far as to declare that the popular hamburger has been excommunicated.
Catholic theologian Father Massimo Salani condemned burgers in the Italian bishops’ daily Avvenire, saying they were “unCatholic.” Salani went on to say modern man had lost touch with the communal and religious aspects of eating.
He said fast food was not food that good Catholics should eat, since fast food required eating quickly and often eating alone. Both of these characteristics are contrary to the Catholic ideal of long, communal meals.
Fries With That?
He said: “People go to McDonald’s in search of the quickest possible meal. The aim is to bolt down food and satisfy hunger as quickly as possible in order to devote themselves to other things.”
Salani even suggested fast food was created for Protestants. He said Protestants stressed an individual relationship with God and that eating quickly conformed to the Protestant work ethic.
In Italy, a country with over 150,000 cafes, meals are a matter of national pride. When the first McDonald’s opened in Italy, close to the famed Spanish steps in Rome, Italians initially were wary. Today, McDonald’s is spreading quickly throughout Italy, much to both the delight and horror of the many epicureans who live there.
Italian Communist party leader Fausto Bertinotti, not known to be a friend of globalization but once in a while tempted by a burger, warned that “hamburgers are not the enemy, or Satan. They’re just not my idea of civilization.
Supersizing the Argument
Much reaction also focused on the bigger picture. Another popular Italian newspaper, La Stampa, said the Catholic Church should be more concerned with people who could not eat at all.
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