Vatican Opens Its Own Mall Next to St. Peter's Sq.; Space was Previously a Coffee Bar and Cafeteria

 The Vatican opened its very own shopping mall on March 16, located adjacent to St. Peter's Square, the Crux website reports today (March 20, 2023). 

The mall is located in a space associated with the last great jubilee. It occupies the fifth and top floor of a massive parking garage on Rome's Janiculum Hill built for the Jubilee Year 2000, and has been in the works since 2020.The space was previously devoted to a coffee bar and cafeteria for the busloads of tourists and pilgrims who arrive in the parking structure. 

Though it may seem ironic  that the Vatican should be launching its own shopping mall under a pope who's a stern critic of the excesses of capitalism, there are some distinctive "Pope Francis" touches, including an emphasis on sustainability and solidarity.