Catholic Coffee

Did you know that there was a campaign by some within the Catholic Church to declare coffee sinful in the late 1500s? Yes, it's true! If things had broken a different way, your morning cuppa could've been a no-no. We all have Pope Clement VIII to thank for keeping our caffeine fixes licit within the faith!

During Pope Clement VIII's pontificate, there was a group of his advisers that thought Catholics should not drink coffee. This was likely due to its (admittedly strong) effect on the body, mildly addictive properties, and production connection to Islam. This was during a period of great tension between Catholicism and Islam. These naysayers referred to coffee as "the devil's beverage."

Praise God, Pope Clement was a wise man. He refused to ban the beverage without trying it first. Reluctantly, they prepared a cup of coffee for him, which he subsequently drank. Struc