VATICAN CITY - As many as 3,500 fake parchement Apostolic blessing with emblems of the Holy See and photograph of Pope Francis have been seized from a counterfeit printer,  police said Monday.

  The fraud targetted pilgrims arriving at the Vatican for the Jubilee of Mercy.

 Unfortunately, the creative businessman had not asked for the necessary permits from the Pontifical Governorate. Finance police in cooperation with the Vatican Gendarmerie discovered the fraud and seized 3,500 fake parchments. The printer was denounced for producing and putting on sale the fake papal blessings that would have netted him as much as 70,000 euros.

ms