SINGAPORE, Sept 12 — With concern over Pope Francis’s health during his Asian tour, Indonesian pastor Father Markus Solo Kewuta — who is based in Vatican and is part of his entourage — has revealed how the Pope has been taking care of his health, and part of it is his diet.
In an interview with Singapore’s Straits Times, Markus talked about how the Pope enjoyed eating papaya and other tropical fruits every day and testing out local cuisine — all the while always starting his day with a cup of cappuccino, with cookies as treats.
Markus related how on the first day accompanying the Pope, he had mistakenly taken the latter’s cup of coffee after it arrived at the table.
Realising his mistake, he tried to pass the untouched cup to the Pope, but was rebuffed.
“No, no, no, no. For you! For you!” he related.
Father Markus also said that meals with Pope Francis usually lasts for just 30 minutes, but the latter always has a joke to tell the dining table.
He said the Pope also eats the same food as everyone on the table, which typically included the head of protocol and his guards, personal assistants and interpreter.
When offered something special, such as Italian bread, Markus said the Pope would always share the treat.
“He will ask me to bring it around to other people at the table,” he reportedly said.
Pope Francis is currently in Singapore for his last leg of the tour.
He had previously visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.
