Rome Calendar Features Men in Clerical Attire

A Rome souvenir calendar shows men wearing clerical collars in black-and-white portraits. The product, sold near the Vatican for about eight euros, has appeared in shops for more than twenty years. Giovanni Galizia, now 39 and a flight attendant, posed for the cover photo at age 17.

He said the shoot was arranged through mutual friends and that he signed a release form but has never received payment.

Pazzi produces the calendar, which he named Calendario Romano. Each edition contains twelve portraits, many of which are reused across years. Pazzi told The Associated Press that at least one-third of the men in the 2027 edition are priests. Galizia said he knew only one other model, a French man who was also not a priest.

The calendar includes a page of information about the Vatican but is produced independently.

Described the images as part of an artistic tradition.

He said the photographs create a contrast between the ecclesiastical world and young faces but are not intended to be sensual. A priest from South Korea who identified himself as Father Domenico said the calendar is known among young people in his country. He said viewers sometimes see priests as more approachable because of the images.