Tacky John Paul II mania takes off in Rome

WITH life-size statues and T-shirts with John Paul II’s famous phrase “Be Not Afraid”, pope mania is well under way in Rome ahead of a May 1 ceremony that will put him on the path to sainthood.

As the Italian capital — the reference point for the world’s one billion plus Catholics — prepares for the arrival of 300,000 pilgrims for the festivities, the late pope’s face can be seen on billboards and buses.

Souvenir shops and kiosks lining Via della Conciliazione — the main avenue to Saint Peter’s Square — are brimming with images of Karol Wojtyla.