Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Which pope officially recognized coffee as a "Christian" drink?"
...When coffee first found its way to the European continent, Roman Catholics considered it a drink of "infidels." This reference probably said as much about the Arabic traders who brought the brew to Europe as it did about coffee itself. But even the negative connotation could not dissuade people from loving their coffee. As popularity of the brew spread, French and Venetian merchants started importing it. Those opposed to the brew pressured Pope Clement VIII to ban it. Clement, however, was a huge fan of his morning coffee. Instead of banning it, he issued an edict that officially recognized coffee as a "Christian" drink in 1592. Source: Cofei.com
