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The accidental calendar priest

Madrid: Priests and real estate agents are rarely mistaken for each other. The former have signed a contract with God, while the latter, it is widely thought, are more likely to be in league with the devil.

But in next year’s Calendario Romano, which annually features 12 sexy priests, that is what has happened.

The calendar, compiled and sold (without the approval of the Vatican) by the Italian photographer Piero Pazzi every year since 2004, features David Ruiz Suarez as “Father March.” Unfortunately Mr. Ruiz is neither Italian, nor a priest; he is in fact a 24-year-old estate agent from Seville.

When he learnt that he appeared in the calendar he said he was surprised. “People who don’t know me are going to think I am a priest,” he said, adding that he did not even know that his picture had been taken.

It seems that when Mr. Pazzi visited Seville during its Easter week processions two years ago, he confused Mr. Ruiz for a priest and snapped him in the street. Mr. Ruiz believes the black tunic he was wearing during one of the processions might have led to the mistake.

The photographer says that, after taking Mr. Ruiz’s picture (in the calendar he is seen eating a piece of cake in what has been described as a sensual manner) he did not want to interrupt the procession to check he was a priest and get his details. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2007

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