Full Breakdown
Rome’s “Sexy Priest” Calendar: Behind the Image of a Fake Cleric
5/21/2026, 4:23:00 AM
Calendar Overview
The ‘Calendario Romano’ (aka ‘sexy priest calendar’) is a black-and-white souvenir sold near the Vatican, featuring twelve monthly portraits of men in clerical garb. It has appeared in 23 editions over roughly two decades.
Background and Key Players
Photographer Piero Pazzi created the calendar in the early 2000s. The recurring cover model, Giovanni Galizia, was photographed at 17 in Palermo; he now works as a flight attendant. Shop clerk Hassam Mohammad sells it, and Father Domenico, a South Korean priest, says it is popular among Korean youth.
Official Statements
The Vatican says the calendar is independent and declined comment. Pazzi calls it a ‘winking’ play on sacred-profane dynamics and estimates several thousand copies sold annually. Galizia, who signed a release, never received payment and stresses he was never ordained.
Criticism and Public Reaction
*La Repubblica* called the product a ‘fake priest calendar,’ prompting debate over misrepresentation. Critics say the youthful images create a dissonance between reverence and sensuality, while Father Domenico sees it as humorous and humanising.
On-the-Ground Observations
Shop clerk Hassam Mohammad reports selling a handful daily. Tourists buy the calendar as a Vatican souvenir, and Galizia’s cousins once gifted it to their grandmother, who ‘died laughing.’
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Pazzi says at least one-third of 2027 models are priests, but offers no proof. Prices are reported as €8 (AP) versus ‘upwards of €10’ (*Straits Times*). Sales are estimated at several thousand copies, without independent verification. The Vatican’s stance remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It was the smile of an embarrassed kid, because I saw all my friends in front of me laughing out loud because I was dressed like I was a priest.” — Giovanni Galizia, flight attendant
- “Of course, it winks a bit at the dynamic between the sacred and the profane, because it is clear that seeing a world that is distant and in some ways so lofty as the ecclesiastical world, with such a fresh-faced young man, creates a kind of dissonance.” — Piero Pazzi, photographer
- “I don’t see anything sexy in that photo... there’s nothing sensual about it,” — Giovanni Galizia, flight attendant
- “One shop clerk, Hassam Mohammad, said he sells a handful of them every day.” — Hassam Mohammad, shop clerk
- “But looking at this calendar, they think priests are more familiar, and priests can be funny.” — Father Domenico, South Korean priest
Why It Matters
The calendar shows how commercial souvenirs can shape perceptions of clergy, blending humor with visual appeal, and may influence attitudes toward priests among tourists and young audiences.
What’s Next
The 2027 edition is on sale; *La Repubblica* coverage may spur further scrutiny and calls for clearer labeling of its non-Vatican affiliation.
