Papal Etiquette at Home

At dinner he drinks a glass or two of old Bordeaux, which is the only wine for which he cares, and as the etiquette of the Vatican requires that the Sovereign Pontiff should always dine alone he amuses himself by reading the newspapers… 
–Portrait of Pope Leo XIII – Public domain image

At 1 o'clock the Pope usually dines, although when he has a long succession of audiences dinner is often put back to 2, and some times even to 3, o'clock. The simple meal consists of soup, roast, and dessert. At dinner he drinks a glass or two of old Bordeaux, which is the only wine for which he cares, and as the etiquette of the Vatican requires that the Sovereign Pontiff should always dine alone he amuses himself by reading the newspapers. 

When the Pope wishes to do do special honor to some foreign royalty or other distinguished personage, he invites them to his breakfast of coffee and rolls after early mass. To this honor only Roman Catholics are admitted, since it is an essential preliminary that the guest should have attended the Pope's mass and received the communion from his hands. Even then the guest, however high may be his rank, never sits at the same table with the Bishop of Rome, a small table being placed for him adjoining that of his host. 

After dinner the Pope takes an hour's nap in an armchair, and then, if the weather be fine, he has a walk in the Vatican gardens. The Pope takes great interest in gardening, and often astonishes the head gardener with the extent of his botanical lore. After his return from the garden Pope Leo gives further audiences or works with his secretaries, as occasion may require, and at 6 o'clock he takes a bowl of soup and a glass of Bordeaux. 

From 8 to 10, there are yet further audiences, save when the Pontiff shuts himself up in his room to prepare the morrow's work. At 10, by way of evening prayers, he says the rosary, and half an hour later he sups on the remains of dinner. So abstemious are the Pope's habits that it is not difficult to believe the statement that the expenses of his table are less than £10 a month. 

At 11 he retires, but not always to sleep. His Holiness suffers from insomnia, which he endeavors to chase away by mentally composing the elegant and polished Latin and Italian verses which have earned for him some right to be considered a poet.– From Cassell's Saturday Journal of London, in The New York Times, 1888

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette for Meeting the Pope

The Pope, or Supreme Pontiff, is the Bishop of Rome. He is the ex officio the leader of the Catholic Church.

• The Pope is never introduced. He literally is a man who needs no introduction. (You, of course, ought to be introduced by somebody.)
• When you speak to him, you address him as Your Holiness. (If you happen to find yourself in a sea of high-level Catholic clergy and are wondering what to call everyone, Cardinals are Your Eminence, and Bishops and Archbishops are Your Excellency.)
• As for his symbolic fisherman's ring, which some kneel and kiss as a sign of respect: If you're not Catholic, there's no expectation whatsoever that you kiss the ring. And even if you are Catholic, it's not required: Vice President Biden dispensed with the practice two years ago, giving the Pope a handshake instead.
• That's totally acceptable — especially with Pope Francis, who tends not to stand on ceremony. He has a habit of embracing people, bowing to them — or, when Cardinals bend to kiss his ring, bending to kiss theirs back. – Source NPR, 2015

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette and the Papal Wardrobe

Heavenly Bodies — Fashion and the Catholic Imagination... Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council, had been wanting for some time for the dicastery to focus on the relationship between fashion, art and faith, and agreed to collaborate with an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art because of the Met’s significance to culture and the potential global outreach, but officials were unaware of the widely criticized gala that took place last Monday night. “We wanted to be involved and those behind it had good intentions,” a Vatican official told the Register. The Met Gala “crossed a line and was openly, brazenly disrespectful,” wrote Piers Morgan, Catholic talk show host. Pop singer Rihanna dressed up as a provocative, sequinned pope and actress Jennifer Lopez wore a jewel-encrusted multi-coloured cross. The Met Gala is the annual curtain-raising event for its Summer exhibit. The Vatican has loaned 40 priceless items which serve as the “cornerstone” of the display, including “papal robes and accessories from the Sistine Chapel sacristy, many of which have never been seen outside the Vatican.”  – National Catholic Register Blogger Edward Pentin

A Wonderful Wardrobe

“The most costly wardrobe in the world is to be found at Rome, and belongs to the Pope,” says M. A. P. Each day etiquette compels him to wear different garments, and as nearly all of them are ornamented with rich and rare gems, no millionaire could hope to purchase them, even if a value could be placed on them. The Pope's little skull caps are of the finest and most beautiful of silk, while his slippers of embroidered velvet are gorgeous to look at, being works of art. His gloves, made of white wool, are still more costly, embroidered as they are, with fine pearls in the shape of a cross. A special flock of fifty sheep are kept, from which all the Papal woolen garments are manufactured. The surplices are of the most valuable and beautiful lace, while one long cape, the cappa magna, which is rarely worn, hangs straight from the shoulders, and literally gleams from top to bottom with gold and precious stones. The rings, too, which the Pope wears are priceless, containing, as they do, many stones of matchless quality. – Los Angeles Herald, 1910

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Papal Dining Etiquette

Pope Leo XIII, reigned as Pope from early in 1878, until his death in 1903. He was the oldest Pope, and had the third longest pontificate, behind those of Pius IX and John Paul II.

Pope Leo's Habits

Most of the modern Popes, says The St. James's Gazette, have been ascetics, and Leo XIII is no exception to the rule. His holiness rises at 6 o'clock alike in summer and winter, and immediately he is dressed he says mass in his private chapel. Then he "assists" at another mass celebrated by a prelate of the household, and at 7 he breakfasts. 

The Papal breakfast consists of coffee and two boiled eggs. The midday dinner is as simple as the breakfast; soup, a dish which it pleases the Italians to regard as a beef steak, dessert, and one glass of Bordeaux—of course not the Bordeaux which common people drink. After dinner the Pope takes an hour's nap. The early supper is composed of salad and eggs, and a very admirable supper that is in a hot climate. 

It is etiquette for the Pope to take all his meals alone—a custom which must be very bad for the digestion. Leo XIII works as hard in his study as Queen Victoria does, but he enjoys splendid health for so old a man, and promises to wear the tiara for many a year to come. —1887

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette, the Pope and Attire

It's not the size, ladies. It's the view. Papal etiquette does not countenance decollete gowns in the Pope's presence. 

The Pope and Decollete Gowns

It is not generally known that Papal etiquette does not countenance decollete gowns in the Pope's presence. Moreover, his Holiness holds them in great abhorrence. This is rather awkward for those who are not aware that it is considered a breach of etiquette to appear at a Papal reception in ordinary Court dress.

For instance, a short-time since some American women who were visiting Rome wishing to attend one of his receptions made their appearance in ordinary Court dress, having availed themselves to the fullest extent of the decolletage. His Holiness was horrified when he noticed them, but at the time refrained from taking any personal notice. Nevertheless, he determined to take steps for its prevention in future. 

A certain well-known Cardinal was instructed by him to inform the ladies, of their breach of etiquette. The Cardinal was a man of the world, and realized that the matter must be approached with the utmost tact and delicacy. 

After due consideration he approached the ladies and addressing them said: "The Pope is old-fashioned and does not like decollete; but," he continued, waving his hand lightly in the air, "for me, I am quite accustomed to them, you know; I have been so much among savages that I do not mind them."  — Chicago Times-Herald, 1900

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia