Just another day at the office #121

“Shit. You mean no-one remembered to buy a chocolate egg for the Big Guy?”

View from a Rhino House: God vs Mammon – looks like a draw so far….

In Rome the street vendors are busy trying to do their best for both God & Mammon, & 48 hours after his election, Pope Francis’ smiling face stares out from pendants & the plastic packaging around rosaries at the trinket stands near St. Peter’s Square (or “Home” as Frank will be calling it now).

Plastic bags containing a picture of Francis & a rosary were selling for €7 at Antonio Cardone’s stand & (almost certainly photoshopped) postcards showing the new Holy Father were selling well for 50 centimes.

“More stuff will arrive over the weekend,” said Cardone. “In time for when he’s officially enthroned on Tuesday.” (& yes, they will be delivering on Sunday.)

Nearby, outside a Vatican City bookshop, tourists were swarming around posters with the face of the new pope above quotes from his first address. Inside the shop, they were buying Pope Francis’ pendants, medals & postcards.

Interestingly at the moment the most popular item on sale around the Holy City is still a rosary set with an image of Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, but given time Frank will soon be up there with the real money spinners.

Nice to see that vow of poverty is still up there with the other one, the vow of chastity; that always gets a laugh too.

“So, we have a deal?”