Official papal visit merchandise goes on sale

The organisers of the papal visit unveiled the official merchandise for the Pontiff’s trip to Britain today.

Papal visit souvenirs include papal flags inscribed with the visit’s date and logo, baseball caps, a Swarovski bracelet, rosaries with pictures of the Pope, prayer cards, tote bags and branded T-shirts. An electric flashing candle is also among the items advertised.

T-shirts include a beatification T-shirt with a retro-style picture of John Henry Newman, as well as a black-and-white Pope Benedict T-shirt which features the Pontiff in profile. Parishes are also able to customise papal visit T-shirts so that their entire pilgrim team will be able to go to the papal events in personalised shirts.

The Pope’s visit, which coincides with London Fashion Week, has prompted stiff competition in T-shirt design.

For unofficial merchandise, Catholics with Attitude supply “Benedict 16″ hoodies along with a wide variety of other papal and Catholic-themed T-shirts.

Meanwhile, the Guardian Comment is Free Belief section has its own papal visit T-shirt competition in response to the National Secular Society’s Pope Nope T-shirts.