French intellectuals ask Pope to remove gluttony from list of 7 Deadly Sins

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 24 September, 2003, 12:12 GMT 13:12 UK

Gourmands at war with the Deadly Sins

By Caroline Wyatt
BBC correspondent in Paris

Tempting France's eaters into the sin of Gluttony?

A group of French chefs and intellectuals have sent a petition to the Pope, asking him to reclassify the deadly sin of gluttony.

They argue that the French word for the sin - gourmandise - has changed its meaning over the years and is now used to denote a gourmet, someone who truly appreciates good food and wine, rather than a glutton.

One of the group's founders is the well-known French chef Paul Bocuse, whose late friend - France's best-known baker, Lionel Poilane - first came up with the idea several years ago.

Mr Bocuse and several others are carrying on the campaign in Poilane's memory, supported by gourmands across France who would like the Vatican to change the word to "gloutonnerie"', a term that suggests much greater greed than gourmandise.

At Paul Bocuse's brightly-painted three Michelin stars restaurant in Lyon, food lovers come to worship at the altar of French cooking.

But according to the Catholic Church, these people may be endangering their immortal souls by committing the fifth of the deadly or cardinal sins.

But Mr Bocuse and his group of connoisseurs argue that these days, gourmandise is a pleasure not a sin.

"You know, being a gourmand is not a sin. Being a glutton is.

"To be a gourmand is one of life's great pleasures. Gourmands don't just appreciate fine food and good wine, but they share it - and thus double the pleasure," Mr Bocuse smiles.

Monsieur Bocuse is spearheading the campaign

The seven deadly sins were formalised in the 6th Century by Pope Gregory the Great.

Yet today, French priests rarely take confessions of gourmandise.

The parish priest at the Church of the Lamb of God in eastern Paris, Father Alain de la Morandais, believes that gourmands are in fact performing an act of worship or thanksgiving to God as they appreciate their food.

"I am a doctor of moral theology, and I think the only real sins are ones of excess. Addiction - for example to drink or to drugs or to cigarettes, that is a sin.

"But these days," he tells me, "the French word gourmandise is understood to mean a gourmet - and a gourmet is someone who savours, who appreciates good food, good wine, and all the flavours that God created."

Semantics

Yet some fear there is little the Vatican can do in response to the petition from France.

Experts say that if this is a semantic issue, rather than a theological question, then it is a matter for an even higher authority - that of the Academie francaise, the ferocious guardians of the French language.

Father Morandais thinks that eating well is an act of worship

Colette Guillemard, food writer and author of the book The Origins of the Word Gourmand says the academy is probably the only body that can actually get the meaning of a word in French changed.

"It's a question of language, more than a problem of sin in itself. But of course, it will be very hard to find the right person at the Academie francaise who can make that change."

Although two of its members are on the group committee of the petitioners De la question gourmande, the rest of the academie is less convinced.

"This question is a waste of time," the academie's press officer told the BBC.

But judging by the letters in the French newspapers and frequent discussions of the issue, it is a question that interests many in France, whether for its sheer quirkiness or out of genuine theological worry.

Either way, those French gourmands anxious to know whether they are sinning on a daily basis will just have to be patient - there has been no official reply from the Pope as yet.

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They argue that the French word for the sin - gourmandise - has changed its meaning over the years and is now used to denote a gourmet, someone who truly appreciates good food and wine, rather than a glutton.

They argue that the French word for the sin - gourmandise - has changed its meaning over the years and is now used to denote an avarice, someone who truly lusts for good food and wine, rather than a glutton.

[ffusco]

Likewise the French word for Lying means diplomacy, Treachery means flexibility.....

[bandleader]

Why doesn't this surprise me?I wonder which of"The Seven Deadly Sins"is the next "Target"of these Morally Relative,Socialist Back-Biters???

[mtbopfuyn]

"To be a gourmand is one of life's great pleasures. Gourmands don't just appreciate fine food and good wine, but they share it - and thus double the pleasure," Mr Bocuse smiles.

One bon-bon for Bocuse, two bon-bons for me - hey, just doubling my pleasure.

[DLfromthedesert]

I heard Bill Clinton petitioned the Pope to remove the sin of lust. He said that's what got him through a stressful presidency, and therefore, is a virtue.

[jae471]

I don't think its a matter of changing the Bible; its a matter of updating the translations.

Words shift in meaning:

A decoy is not a fake duck, but a pond.
A borough is not a city (or part of one), but a hill.
A Bureau is not an office, but a desk.
Old English doesn't exist; that's Old Saxon. (Oft We hwaet ne)
Calculus is not a type of math; its something on your teeth.
A University is not a college, but a corporation.

And finally,
A Frenchman is not a person of Frankish descent, but a cheese-eating surrender-monkey.

[longtermmemmory]

France has a "language police" to attempt to preserve the purity of the french language. I believe you can be fined for using words like "e-mail".

French is what killed eurodisney. It would have been more ecconomically viable as a english dominant park.

[50sDad]

Could replace it with French Arrogance (or is that redundant?)

[Graybeard58]

"French intellectuals ask Pope to remove gluttony from list of 7 Deadly Sins"


....... French Intellectuals???

[kaylar]

I thought that a gourmand was distinguished from a gourmet precisely because s/he is a glutton : A person who overindulges in food but with little discrimination or taste. A gourmet indulges in the finest wines and foods carefully chosen ; a gourmand pigs out on slop-junk food, fast food, badly prepared food, etc. I thought that wads the understood meaning of the two terms, which are NOT synonymous at all.

[StarCMC]

French intellectuals???

Definitely an oxymoron in my book - that was what I thought as soon as I saw the title of this article!

[per loin]

Nice photo of the official French SWAT team, practicing their swatting movements.

[Salman]

OK it's official. Being French is a deadly sin.

[RightWhale]

Is that a deadly sin, or a venial sin? Makes a difference.

[StarCMC]

French Military Forces in Training! LOL!

[bicycle thug]

My pleasure, two weeks ago the Oregon Ducks massacred the Michigan Wolverines. They must have been too gluttonous after this feat because Washington Cougars dined on Duck like gluttons themselves and set a new record pointwise for a loss at Autzen Stadium.

If there is a moral in it concerning excess and success and the sin involved in it it must be that you can lead a liberal party oriented university to a grand victory but they always will find a way not to stay there. ;-)

[firebrand]

"Deadly sin" is not the same as "mortal sin." In fact, these are more aptly called the "seven capital sins," IMHO.

[firebrand]

You are right. But consider the fact that there is now a cheese called gourmandise. I doubt the promoters of this cheese would like people to think of themselves as gluttons when they buy it. I think the meaning has suffered confusion with that of "gourmet" and has indeed changed.

It's sort of the opposite of what happens to euphemisms: they lose their positive connotations after a while and a new euphemism has to be invented; the word "gourmand" has lost its negative connotations for many people.