The company I work for is involved in the corporate sponsorship industry and we get a daily update on sports sponsorships from another company. One of our reporters forwards the daily email to the rest of us who need to see it.
Today, he added his own story to the email.
Vatican Offers Sponsorship Rights For Pope's Casket
The Vatican's College of Cardinals is offering exclusive sponsorship rights to the Pope's upcoming funeral, including brand logo placement on the deceased pontiff's casket, according to sources quoted by Italian news agency Italia, sPA. The news agency said that the College has been preparing for the Holy Father's demise since he fell ill more than two weeks ago, and has had what it characterizes as "preliminary discussions" with several well-known European brands and several U.S. corporations. Cardinal College spokesman Giuseppe Mezzofanti did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Italia also reports that sources close to the College say the directive to find alternative revenue streams comes directly from the Holy See in Rome, which has long been rumored to be facing financial difficulties. Although the Church's accounting for years has been a closely guarded secret, other reports in the Italian press have said that additional branding opportunities, such as agreement with an automaker to brand the Pontiff's bulletproof Popemobile, may also become available. This would not be the first time the Catholic Church has dabbled in marketing. Last year, several news agencies reported that St. Petri Church in Hamburg, Germany, was funding repairs to its organ through the sale of church-sanctioned religious ring tones that could be downloaded to buyer's cell phones.
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