Rome souvenir calendar faces scrutiny over clerical photo subjects

A popular souvenir calendar sold in Rome for over two decades, featuring portraits of young men in clerical attire, has drawn national attention after reports revealed that many of the subjects are not actual priests. The calendar, officially named Calendario Romano, is a staple in tourist shops around the Vatican and the city's historic center.

The cover model for many of the calendar's 23 editions is Giovanni Galizia, a 39-year-old flight attendant who posed for the photograph when he was 17. The same image, showing him in a clerical collar against a granite church wall in Palermo with an enigmatic smile, has been reused annually. Galizia described the original shoot as a lark, saying he smiled because he was embarrassed and his friends were laughing at his priestly costume.

The calendar's photographer and creator, Piero Pazzi, stated that at least one-third of the men featured in the already released 2027 edition are real priests, though he provided no specific details. Galizia confirmed he knew only one other subject, a French man, who was also not a priest. The Vatican has declined to comment on the matter, noting the calendar is not affiliated with the Holy See. Pazzi...