A pizza makes heavenly headlines: Domino's Pizza, one of the world's leading pizza delivery services by its own account, has now carried out an equally extraordinary and symbolic act in the heart of the Vatican in Rome. A company employee carried a freshly baked "Pardoned Pineapple Pizza" – Domino's version of the "Waikiki" with pineapple – through the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica.
When the Porta Santa becomes a stage for culinary tolerance
The so-called Porta Santa is opened only once every 25 years. According to Church tradition, all sins are forgiven to those who pass through it. Domino's seized this rare opportunity to, with a wink, also redeem the "culinary sin" that has divided pizza fans worldwide for decades: the pineapple topping. "We know that pineapple on pizza is polarizing around the world, and in pizza's home country of Italy it is considered almost a culinary sin," said Matthias Maier, Chief Marketing Officer of Domino's Pizza Germany. "By walking through the Holy Door with our Waikiki, we want to ask for forgiveness with a wink and show that even taste is a matter of tolerance."
From culinary sins to heavenly forgiveness
For decades, Pizza Hawaii has sparked heated debates, from family dinner tables to social media. With this Vatican stunt, Domino's is now tongue-in-cheek declaring that debate over: eating pizza with pineapple is, at least symbolically, no longer a sin. With this humorous gesture, Domino's Pizza aims not only to raise a smile, but also to send a message of diversity and acceptance, even if it is "only" about pizza.