The first souvenirs showing Pope Leo
XIV were on sale around St Peter's Friday, the day after the
election of the first US-born pope, but mementos and fridge
magnets showing his predecessor Francis were still doing a
roaring trade.
A few hours have passed since Leo's election Thursday evening
and the first magnets with the pontiff looking out from the
loggia of the blessings of the basilica are already appearing on
the stalls of souvenir shops near St. Peter's.
Without, however, giving up the gadgets with Francis that, still
in great demand, welcome the faithful at the entrances of almost
all commercial establishments, from the Vatican to Santa Maria
Maggiore, where the much-loved Argentine pontiff is buried.
Fabio, owner of a souvenir shop near Piazza dell'Esquilino, has
no doubts: the miniature St Mary Major Basilica with Pope
Francis next to it will in fact, according to him, be the next
best-selling souvenir of Rome on sale among the many Colosseums
and St. Peter's.
"There will certainly be objects of this type combined with the
face of Francis," is his opinion as an expert merchant.
At the moment, "there aren't even any magnets with Santa Maria
Maggiore but things will change," he says. And they can do it
quickly if in a few hours merchandise with the image of the
former Cardinal Robert Prevost have been produced and sold.
Just as magnets with the birth and death dates of Francis were
on the market a few days after his death.
After Francis' burial, rosaries, statuettes, "holy cards", "we
didn't even have time to put them on display and they ran out",
Fabio continues while sorting out a shopper with a print of the
smiling Argentine pontiff, among others with the Colosseum, the
Vespa, the Trevi Fountain.
However, those who really talk numbers are the shopkeepers near
St. Peter's.
According to Jin, the increase in sales of souvenirs with Pope
Francis has been about 15 - 20% since his death, "not a lot - he
says - those who have worked in the area for several years told
me that with John Paul II the faithful had emptied the street".
For him now "the times are different, even the generations of
pilgrims".
Those who have had shops on Via di Porta Angelica for over forty
years speak of sales "three times higher" with the Polish pope.
Francis, however, resists, and one day after the election of the
new pontiff, sales of souvenirs with his face continue apace.
Even when the first and "many", according to the shopkeepers,
requests for merch with Leo XIV on it begin to appear.
While in some shops in the area of ;;the basilica the fridge
magnets are, in fact, already on display since the morning after
the election, in many others they will have to wait.
Luca, who works in the sector, explains, in fact, that they will
have to wait for the authorization of the dicastery to be able
to sell the goods with the new pontiff.
"There are various steps", he says.
The same goes for the Jubilee logo printed on souvenirs.
Mario, owner of a shop on Via della Conciliazione, also confirms
this.
From Francis onwards, "for the objects to be produced and sold,
approval is necessary. For example, Bergoglio (Francis) had not
authorized the cups with his image".
How long it will take for the concession is unknown, some say a
few weeks, some a month.
In the meantime, many people, since the morning after the
election, are looking for products with Leo XIV, hoping to be
able to buy them before their Roman holiday ends.
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