The Vatican and Beer in Lent
The Vatican's opinion of beer was asked several years ago under the following circumstances, as told by a priest: “While parish priest of a Bavarian country village the Burgomaster came to him one day and asked whether it was proper to drink beer in Lent. The pastor replied that he thought a moderate enjoyment of beer was quite lawful. The President of the Commune, however, was not satisfied. A few days later he again went to his reverence and solemnly ask him whether he could not make an inquiry in Rome as to the legality of the wholesale drinking of ‘Baierisch’ during Lent. The clergyman gladly assented. ‘I received a notification from the highest authorities,’ he said, ‘that no judgment could be given on the beer question until the beer had been seen and tasted.’ A small barrel of the very best Bavarian was sent from the village to the Eternal City; it was probably the very first Bavarian beer which crossed ‘the threshold of the apostles.’ The decision came back from Rome without delay. The wine-drinking authorities in the Vatican ruled that as much of this singular liquid might be drunk during Lent as a man could bring himself to drink. Not only so, but it was even added that it might be regarded as a sort of penance when a man drunk a large quantity of so bitter and nauseous a concoction.”