Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, July 24, 1993                   TAG: 9307240161
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: VICTOR L. SIMPSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: ROME                                LENGTH: Medium

WHEN THE POPE PLAYS YOUR TOWN, MEMENTO SALES HELP PAY HIS BILLS

When Pope John Paul II travels the world, the Vatican counts on the generosity of local people to help pay the bills. Merchandising and other promotions bring in further money.

The Vatican, which says it is deeply in the red, has long rejected arguments that the trips strain its budget. It looks to local churches to come up with ways to finance the pope's travels.

In Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, bishops asked for contributions of 66 cents from each Roman Catholic in better-off areas and 7 cents in backward districts to help defray the reported cost of $100,000 for the one-day stop in 1986.

In Australia, the church approved the sale of T-shirts with the slogan "Is the pope a Catholic?" and beer cans bearing the papal seal to help meet the $3 million costs for the weeklong stay.

And when John Paul visits Denver next month, more than 100 church-sanctioned items will be on sale, ranging from socks, scarves and fanny packs to "Pope Scopes" - periscopes that let a viewer see over the crowd.

No world leader has traveled as widely as John Paul. He has visited 100 countries in his nearly 15 years as pope, traveling to remote spots that would make even the most adventurous tourist envious.

For his 60th foreign tour, to lead the church's World Youth Day celebration in Denver Aug. 12-15, the church in the United States has authorized an official merchandising campaign and is welcoming contributions to defray the costs.

Organizers are expecting more than 120,000 people to attend the event, and the projected cost is $6.5 million, up from $4.5 million. The earlier figure was based on an estimated 60,000 people attending.

The church won't say how much it expects from its agreement with the Centerville, Ohio-based F.A.M.E., the marketing company that has represented the Rolling Stones, the University of Notre Dame and the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. But it said the agreement guarantees World Youth Day significantly less than a reported $1 million.

World Youth Day spokeswoman Sister Mary Ann Walsh said the agreement gives F.A.M.E. exclusive use of the World Youth Day name and trademark, but not the papal image.

Some items were rejected.

Although the pope is an avid skier, the church turned down a sculpture of John Paul skiing in full papal regalia as in "bad taste," Walsh said.

The American church also is counting on help from corporate donors and businesses in Denver.

Organizers announced, for example, that Cellular One will donate more than $1 million in cellular communications equipment, including 300 phones for World Youth Day staff.

The Vatican has reported a deficit every year since 1979.