Vatican cracks down on unauthorized use of papal image, says permission now required

Vatican cracks down on phoney use of papal image

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is cracking down on the unauthorized use of the pope’s image.

The Vatican issued a declaration Saturday saying that anyone who wants to use the pope’s name, photo or coat of arms, or the title “pontifical,” must first obtain authorization from the Holy See.

The declaration says that in recent years there has been occasional attempts to “attribute credibility and authority” to initiatives that have little or nothing to do with the Catholic Church.

It didn’t give examples, but noted that there has been an increase in efforts to use the pope’s name for schools, universities and cultural institutions.

The Vatican in 2006 began enforcing copyrights on papal writings.