For over 750 years, strict food rules have safeguarded papal conclaves, ensuring secrecy and preventing hidden messages from influencing the election process.
The article from Legit.ng discusses the daily routine and diet of cardinals during the conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals wake up early, around 6:30 AM, and their day is filled with prayer, reflection, and voting sessions. Meals are simple and taken in silence, with breakfast typically consisting of coffee, tea, and bread or pastries. Lunch and dinner are more substantial, featuring dishes like pasta, meat, fish, and vegetables, but still modest to maintain the solemnity of the occasion. The cardinals are not allowed to leave the Sistine Chapel until a new pope is chosen, and their diet reflects the seriousness and spiritual focus of their task.