Even Pope Francis Has to Diet! Doctors Warn Leader to Lay Off the Pasta After Apparent Weight Gain

Vatican authorities warn the carbs are giving the religious leader a tummy

By Francesca Bacardi Apr 02, 2015 1:48 PMTags
Pope FrancisTIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis is getting fat, you guys.

Apparently his weight gain has become increasingly apparent, so Vatican doctors have warned the religious leader to lay off the pasta, according to The Telegraph. The 78-year-old Argentinian seems to have taken a liking to spaghetti and ravioli, specifically. The Vatican revealed that the Pope needs to adopt a more "disciplined" regimen, including exercising more to combat the stress of his job.

Thankfully he doesn't have to cut out the good stuff completely! The pontiff has been told he can eat his favorite meal only twice a week, which should hopefully satiate his cravings. Although, as pasta lovers ourselves, we don't blame the guy for wanting a plate or two (or three or four or five) of the Italian deliciousness, but with a job like his, we can't imagine the stress he's under.

Pope Francis already only has one functional lung, so doctors are trying to keep him in the best shape possible given the circumstances. The religious leader takes no holidays or any other forms of time off. Doctors are also being extra precautious because the pontiff recently had some sort of premonition where he felt he wouldn't last that much longer in the papacy.

"I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief: four or five years, even two or three. Two have already passed," he said, per MSN. "It is a somewhat strange sensation. Maybe it's like the psychology of the gambler who convinces himself he will lose so he won't be disappointed and if he wins, is happy."

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But when it comes to ruling the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis previously revealed that there is one thing he misses about living a normal life in Buenos Aires, Argentina: being able to sneak out! It turns out the pontiff is really just a normal guy looking for a late-night pizza.

"The only thing I would like is to go out one day, without being recognized, and go to a pizzeria for a pizza," he told a Mexican television channel, comparing his life in Rome to how it was when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Wouldn't we all, Pope Francis. Wouldn't we all.

But Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, stopped by Today to give him his own advice about the starchy stuff!

"Holy Father, you said you always listen to your cardinals. Listen to me: Get a new doctor!" he advised the pontiff while holding up his own bowl of pasta. "Here's what I do, Holy Father, this really helps cut down the calories. Take these basil leaves out of the pasta — and then you can have the whole bowl and it cuts down on calories, all right. All I know is, the next time I'm in Rome, it better be on one of those two days that you're eating pasta."

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