To benefit a Rwandan orphanage

The calendar, to be released Nov. 23 by the Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana, features 14 photographs of Pope Benedict taken in August at the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo.

The calendar will sell in Italy for 5 euros (US$6.40) with 1 euro (US$1.28) from each calendar going directly to Nazareth Town, a Catholic-run orphanage and hospital caring for more than 300 boys and girls in Mbare, Rwanda.

A spokeswoman for Famiglia Cristiana said Nov. 9 there were no plans to publish the calendar outside Italy.

Giancarlo Giuliani, who has been shooting popes for Famiglia Cristiana for 40 years, took the photographs.

Wonderful – it really is too bad they won’t be selling it outside of Italy. I think that Rwandan orphange/hospital could benefit even more if they did!

Famiglia Cristiana – one of several magazine put out by Pauline Media in Italy.

My  pope calendar (posed next to the tape so you can see its hugeness). 1 Euro at the Vatican gift shop – a very handy souvenir given to several, right along with the floating pope pen.