Finding a souvenir from León XIV, an impossible mission

Vatican City.- Two months have passed since his election, but there is no trace of the image of Leo XIV in the souvenir shops surrounding the Vatican, an "unprecedented" case compared to his successors, according to the merchants, who are waiting to obtain permission as soon as possible to make their fortune.

The vicinity of Vatican City is full of these types of shops where tourists and pilgrims usually get lost looking for a souvenir of their favorite pope or saint.

Read more: Leo XIV visits the pontifical villa of Castel Gandolfo

In the menu, there is an overwhelming range of products of variable quality: rosaries, prayer cards, keychains, small bottles of holy water, calendars, refrigerator magnets, bracelets, statuettes, or t-shirts (of questionable taste for any fashion lover). On the shelves, articles with the effigies of Pope Francis, who passed away last April, are still accumulating, but also those of other pontiffs of the past such as Benedict XVI or Saint John Paul II. However, finding the new pope, Leo XIV, is currently an impossible mission, even though two months have passed since the 'white smoke' that announced his election to the world on May 8th.

Awaiting Permission

Merchants explain that this is because the Holy See has not yet given permission to disseminate the official image of the new pontiff to the manufacturers of this type of souvenirs and, without that 'blessing', its distribution is strictly prohibited. To ensure this is respected, in 2017 the Vatican Secretariat of State warned that it was monitoring the use of the image of the Pope, then Francis, to "interrupt any illegalities". "It's the first time it's taken this long. Before, the permit arrived much faster," explains Rita to EFE, manager of 'Turella', a well-known religious articles store a stone's throw from St. Peter's Square, opened by her father in the distant year 1950. There's nothing clear, but, in their opinion, this "delay" may be due to the Vatican being in the midst of organizing the Jubilee, which week after week attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world, and also because it has had to organize a funeral and a conclave. Ludovica, for her part, is in charge of another, newer store, 'Vatican Emporium', but also laments the lack of permits and explanations because, she assures, there is a lot of demand. "Every day we receive people asking for rosaries, medals, posters or anything else from the Pope, but we have to tell them that it is not possible to sell it," he laments, while quickly placing boxes because Rome, at this time, and the Holy Year, is packed.

An Unusual Delay

The merchants in the vicinity of the Vatican, in neighborhoods like Borgo or Via della Conciliazione, are naturally eager for these products to arrive, but they assure that, for now, they do not know when they will be able to do so. "Before, the authorization arrived in a week, everything went much faster," recalls Mariangela, for 24 years behind the counter of the 'Borgo Clero' store. "It's a Vatican mystery," grumbles another merchant in the store next door. Meanwhile, they settle for selling the products of other popes from the past: "We have them all, but we hope to have Leo as soon as possible," the saleswoman wishes. This is despite the fact that the official portrait of the new pontiff was published by the Holy See on May 16, eight days after his election: in it he appears with the white cassock, his reliquary cross on his chest and his signature in Latin.

First Official Sales

The Vatican has already put some images of Leo XIV up for sale, which can be purchased on the official website of its media group. The price of the image on photographic paper ranges from 2.5 euros in its smallest format, 10x15 centimeters, to 64 euros if you prefer a whole poster of one meter (2.9-75 dollars).

And if a canvas is preferred, Prevost's portrait can reach 120 euros (about $141), plus shipping costs.

In addition, the apostolic almsgiving, in charge of the charitable works of the pontiffs, has also begun to sell online the parchments with the effigy and blessing of Leo XIV to give as gifts at weddings, baptisms, communions and every possible celebration. Beyond the Vatican domains, one of the few times the American pontiff has been seen in an article for sale has been in a book about the Jubilee, displayed in a shop in Castel Gandolfo, the small town near Rome where he will spend his summer vacations.