The following letter was sent to the pope last October by Lionel Poiliâne, a prominent French baker who died in a helicopter crash later that month. Translated from the French by Donovan Hohn.

Most Holy Father,

There is, in French, an old saying which holds that “we are what we eat.” This folk wisdom about nourishment—versions of which can be found in all cultures—appears to be commendable and sound. Humans, for whom eating is a matter of survival, have devised, according to their various cultures, ways of preparing and concocting an assortment of foods appealing to body and mind alike.…