Vatican City - McDonald's has opened a
franchise just steps away from the gleaming white marble dome of
St. Peter's Basilica, giving indigestion to some cardinals and
local business owners.
There was no fanfare for the December 30 opening of the U.S.
fast food giant's new venue behind a subdued exterior on the
picturesque Borgo Pio, just outside the spiritual home of the
world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
When the plan emerged last year, one of its most strident
critics was Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, who said McDonald's fare was
far removed from Roman gastronomic traditions and not the
healthiest of foods.
"The mega sandwich shop on Borgo Pio is a disgrace,"
Sgreccia told La Repubblica newspaper at the time.
"It would be better to use those spaces to help the needy of
the area, spaces for hospitality, shelter and help for those who
suffer, as the Holy Father teaches," Sgreccia said.
Despite the holy outrage in some quarters, two nuns were
spotted on Tuesday lunchtime going inside the fast food joint.
In a statement, McDonald's emphasised that the new
restaurant was in a popular tourist area outside the Vatican,
although the building itself is Holy See property.
"As is the case whenever McDonald's operates near historic
sites anywhere in Italy, this restaurant has been fully adapted
with respect to the historical environment," the company said.
Some local business owners had written to Pope Francis to
ask him to keep the chain out, for fear it would upset the
artistic, culture and social identity of the neighbourhood.
In the letter, consumer group Codacons and a committee set
up to protect Borgo Pio said the area, full of restaurants and
shops selling religious articles, was already "saturated" and
bringing in more tourists could be a security risk.
But some people who frequent the area welcomed the new
arrival, including Raffaella Scarano, an Italian woman who works
nearby.
"Anything that is good for the economy of our country is
fine by me," she said.
Cities across Italy have been turning up the heat on fast
food restaurants. McDonald's filed a $20 million lawsuit against
Florence after the mayor of the Renaissance city turned down an
application to open one of its restaurants there.