Coffee first spread to Europe in the late Renaissance period, being introduced to Venetian merchants by Ottoman traders. But though it was slowly becoming popular, it was not without controversy: in the late 16th century, a substantial number of Catholic priests and church officials condemned coffee as an "infidel" drink, due to its having been introduced to Italy, and from there Europe, mainly by Muslim merchants. They claimed that, because Islam forbade the drinking of wine, which was central to Christian holy practices and ceremonies, they had developed coffee as their substitute to wine, which made it an un-Christian, sacreligious drink that shouldn't be allowed into Christendom, and urged that its trade and consumption be forbidden.
Historical legend says that, circa 1600, the issue was finally settled when Pope Clement VIII asked to try a cup of coffee for himself in order to make a decision, liked it, and decided to bless coffee as a drink and allow it to be traded freely in Europe.
What if Clement had instead given in to pressure from the anti-coffee crowd in the Vatican, and coffee had instead been forbidden by the Catholic Church, thereby banning its trade into Europe and its consumption? There would be effects on trade and relations between Europe and the Muslim world, but there could've been indirect long-term effects as well: for example, as the article linked to above says, coffee houses were the favorite meeting place for many of the people who started the French Revolution. What do you think?
Historical legend says that, circa 1600, the issue was finally settled when Pope Clement VIII asked to try a cup of coffee for himself in order to make a decision, liked it, and decided to bless coffee as a drink and allow it to be traded freely in Europe.
What if Clement had instead given in to pressure from the anti-coffee crowd in the Vatican, and coffee had instead been forbidden by the Catholic Church, thereby banning its trade into Europe and its consumption? There would be effects on trade and relations between Europe and the Muslim world, but there could've been indirect long-term effects as well: for example, as the article linked to above says, coffee houses were the favorite meeting place for many of the people who started the French Revolution. What do you think?
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