New listings for Pope Francis merch hit online marketplace shortly after his death
From $5 to $5,000, items up for sale include autographed photos, gold stamps, bobbleheads, 'holy oil,' T-shirts, rosaries and candles. Older listings were also gaining new popularity.
Amaris EncinasThe same day that Pope Francis died, new memorabilia began to appear in the online marketplace.
From bobbleheads to autographed cards made in the pontiff's image, the merchandise began to appear on eBay and other online marketplaces not long after Francis died on Monday.
As the tributes for the pope poured in, so did new listings. Older listings became newly popular.
Prices vary wildly but one item, an autographed LEAF trading card from 2015, was going for $1,299. A number of autographed photos were going for $4,000 and up. Other items, like a gold stamp, was listed for $44.95, while "holy oil" said to be blessed by Francis was listed at $45.99.
Some of the more typical memorabilia includes photographs with well-known figures, posters, rosaries, keychains, T-shirts, mugs, candles and bobbleheads. Similar items have been listed on Facebook Marketplace and Mercari in the last day or so.
Here's are list of some of the more unique Pope Francis memorabilia we've seen, including the prices they are currently listed for.
Pope Francis stickers, socks and more begin to appear
- Decal bumper sticker listed for $3.99
- Party face mask listed for $8.95
- Barbiconi Zucchetto Skull Cap blessed by Pope Francis listed for $300
- Pope Francis' autobiography listed for $24.87
- The Wall Street Journal's 2025 Easter issue listed for $6
- Tapestry banner listed for $7.50
- Pope Francis decorative plate and cup listed for $56.31
- Holy Water listed for $11.96
- Christmas tree ornament listed for $30
- Socks listed for $12.44
- Pope Francis bust listed for $69
How did Pope Francis die?
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was the 266th occupant of the papacy.
He was the first pope from the Americas and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia. Pope Francis, elected in 2013, chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century Italian friar who renounced his wealth.
Francis died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure on April 21, a couple months after he was hospitalized for a severe health crisis.
His leadership – of over some 1.4 billion Catholics globally – will be remembered for outreach to women, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ people, and people from other faiths. He sometimes took progressive or controversial stances on pressing issues, such as same-sex couples and climate change.
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, Phaedra Trethan, Jeanine Santucci and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY