PopeBenedict

Pope Benedict XVI Tours Earthquake Zone in Special Fiat Ducato Panorama Van

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Charity

The Pope can't just ride around in any old car. That's why he had to sell his Volkswagen before ascending from Cardinal to the Papacy. But the head of the Catholic church and head of state of Vatican City has a well-equipped motor pool at his disposal, including sport-utility vehicles donated to the Vatican by Volvo and BMW, a W12 Phaeton luxury sedan by Volkswagen, and of course the specially-made Popemobile from Mercedes-Benz. The latest, by comparisson, may seem the least prestigious, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So while touring the aftermath of the earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy, the Pope is riding around in a specially-equipped Fiat Ducato Panorama van.

The Ducato is one of the most prolific vehicles in Italy, with some 2 million on the road. But the Pope's, of course, is special, equipped with a white leather interior including a five-seater sofa, the latest electronics and deployable steps to allow the gowned pontiff easy ingress and egress.

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Tags: abruzzo, fiat, fiat ducato, fiat ducato panorama, FiatDucato, FiatDucatoPanorama, italy, joseph ratzinger, JosephRatzinger, pope, pope bendict xvi, pope benedict, pope fiat, PopeBendictXvi, PopeBenedict, PopeFiat, vatican

The Pope Speaks Out Against Luxury

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI spoke out against luxury. As part of his homily in St. Peter's Basilica to mark the Catholic feast day of the Epiphany, the Pope said that we are creating a world where the haves and the have-nots are far apart. He preached that moderate lifestyles can help redistribute wealth and ease the fight over natural resources calling for "a greater hope, which allows us to prefer the common good of all to the luxury of few and the poverty of many."

This is not the first time the Pope has taken a swing at luxury. Last June the Vatican issued a 'rules of the road' document that said cars should not be used "as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy." Wise words, but the Pope may want to tend to his own garden first. in 2005, he reportedly received a BMW SUV and his taste for designer labels such as Prada and Gucci has been well-documented.

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Tags: epiphany, luxury, pope benedict, PopeBenedict, speech