I happened to glance at The Daily News today, and they offered a few tips on what to do if you happen to meet Pope Benedict XVI. After discussing the proper way to address him and the protocol on kissing his ring, the author wrote the following:
I’d never heard of this tradition before, but I’m sure it’s not specific to Benedict. Where does this custom come from?
No cite, but long ago I read that Queen Elizabeth doesn’t either, the reason in her case being that it’s too easy while someone’s eating to take a picture that makes them look ridiculous.
I don’t know if that’s Benedict’s reason, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
And the reason that President Bush *does *eat in public is that… [checks forum]…never mind.
So, when asking him about the letters he wrote to attempt to keep the church’s sex scandals secret… is it considered proper form to do so BEFORE or AFTER kissing his ass? I mean, ring?
Sorry, sidetracked there.
I have no idea why he can’t/won’t eat in public, other than to take a WAG and point out that ancient Pharos, in order to maintain the appearance of being deities and therefore they didn’t need to go to the bathroom, used to evacuate their insides only early in the morning when no one else was around.
Cite? My Sunday school teacher when I was a kid. No idea if it’s true, or if it’s connected to the pope thing, but you never know…
WAG:
Considering he rides around in a bullet proof china cabinet, it’s probably assumed that there are people out there who want to kill him.
So, he needs a food tester to taste his food before he eats it. But it’d be rude to be doing that to people all over the world. It’s just easier to have a policy of not eating in public.
That’s a logical answer. As far as I know, food testers date way back into antiquity. Does anyone have a clue how long this policy has been around? Maybe it’s forever, since the Pope is more of a public figure now than ever.
[Moderating]
filmyak, this kind of comment is not appropriate for GQ. Do not do this again.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Maybe it’s so that the general public isn’t reminded that he is, in fact, just a man.
How do food testers help with slow-acting poisons? Is the Pope eating 3-day old Big Macs all the time?
How often do we ever see any major world leader eating? Or any celebrity, for that matter? Granted, I don’t go out of my way to seek out such pictures, but the only event that I can think of is Hillary Clinton drinking a beer in a bar, in an attempt to convince people that she’s just an ordinary girl.
People are not at their most picturesque while they’re shoving a fork full of mashed potatoes into their mouth. Like commasense said, the most likely reason is just that it looks bad.
Now what kind of faith in God is that? 
Anyway it’s probably a mixture of all of these, defamation, poison, and probably some tradition.
It’s the usual incorrect info in the Daily News.
The Pope celebrates Mass daily, in which he publicly both eats (a host) and drinks (wine).
When he was a Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger was often seen dining publicly, outdoors in restaurants around Rome.
So, if he doesn’t eat in public during his trip to the U.S., it’s NOT because he’s trying to preserve some illusion that he isn’t human and doesn’t eat.
More likely it’s because:
It’s dangerous for public figures of any kind to take and eat food offered by strangers.
He’s appearing in public in a formal, ornate gown. You REALLY expect him to eat pizza or munch on a chili dog while he’s wearing it???
Well, he always wears white, so if he drops something on his clothes, or if he belches or something of that nature, it won’t make headlines, maybe?
And here we have yet another reason I can not bring myself to run in the papal elections. 
This probably isn’t germane, but a friend of mine is a Seventh Day Adventist and he’s convinced that were the Pope to “break bread” with the President of the United States, it would signal–as prophecised–the commencement of a cataclysmic series of events.
Anyone else familiar with the symbolic significance of the Pope “breaking bread” with key VIPs?
He typically ate in the company of other priests, and dressed simply in a priest’s cassock.
Likewise Queen Elizabeth II eats in public at state dinners and luncheons all the time and usually with cameras present. She does have restrictions on what she will and will not eat though (ie nothing messy, no seafood abroa, etc).
Yup. Of course, certain celebrities are better at looking silly than others.
More than just in public, Pope Benedict will not attend a dinner in his honor at the White House. I can understand not eating where he could be photographed but a dinner at the White House?
Insert Kiichi Miyazawa joke here.
Maybe it’s just that nobody’s offered him anything he likes yet.