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Hot priest calendar main.jpg
Alamy
Hot priest calendar main.jpg
Alamy
World News

'Hot priest' calendar divides stars of TV show Loose Women

by Sophie Drew

A calendar that shares a monthly picture of a priest has divided opinion after it became the centre of a debate on the TV show Loose Women.

Dubbed “the hot priest calendar”, the annual photo collection is the brainchild of Piero Pazzi.

The “Calendario Romano” has been on sale for almost twenty years, but recent media attention has seen it return to the spotlight, with many people branding it as “wrong”.

The souvenir is particularly popular amongst tourists visiting Rome.

For the most part, it contains photos of clerics that usually parade in the Holy Week processions.

In the mid-2010’s, the calendar is believed to have sold 75,000 copies a year, but it will set you back around 10 euros (£8.72).

When discussing the A4 calendar on Loose Women, Judi Love said: “That feels a little bit sinful. Where’s the holy water? You’re supposed to be trying to get rid of your sins, not get new sins.”

Carol McGiffin agreed, telling the panellists that she thinks its “wrong” to have religious leaders on your calendar.

However, Nadia Sawalha suggested the calendar was just an extension of the increasingly sexual way priests have been portrayed in the media, from The Thorn Birds to Fleabag.

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