The Pope's "new" car

VATICAN CITY — When an Italian priest handed Pope Francis the keys to his classic 30hp Renault 4, the pope got behind the wheel and took off, leaving security squirming behind, knowing full well this would be just the beginning of a pope truly on the move. Even though he shouldn’t be able to reach Ferrari-like speeds with a 300cc engine, it might be tough keeping up when he hits the hills.

“The security personnel next to me were very concerned because they understood that from now on he would be tooling around the Vatican in my car,” the car donor, 69-year-old Father Renzo Zocca, told the Italian Catholic magazine, Famiglia Cristiana. But the priest told the police, not to worry, “I left some snow chains in the trunk. You never know!”

The new addition to the papal fleet — a silver-white four-door 1984 Renault with 186,000 miles on the odometer — happened on Saturday, just a few hours before the Sept. 7 prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square for peace.

Normally  this would not merit a comment from a Lutheran blogger, but my favorite repair guys on Car Talk had a field day with the gift and I could not help but pass on the delicate humor of their fans...

• I always thought the Pope would drive a Christ-ler
• “Tu illam inundarunt” (Latin for “You flooded it”).
• The pope can easily handle a flooded engine. Even if it’s of Biblical proportions.
• He needs one of two bumper stickers. #1, God is my co-pilot. OR #2, My other car is the Pope Mobile.
• I haven’t seen car trouble like this since we tried to fit all the Apostles in one Accord.
• It’s either burning oil, or you’ve just been replaced.
• “A little black smoke is fine, just watch out for the white smoke”.
• If you see a lot of white smoke, it might mean it’s time to elect a new car.
• The black smoke means that a new car must still be chosen.
• Ashes to Ashes
  Dust to Dust.
  If not for Renault
  Our tools would rust.
• Look the Vatican acquired a new relic.
• “The Spiritus Sancti made manifold…”
• Last Rides, anyone? (Extreme disfUnction)

Only a Pope from Argentina could get excited about a 29 year old Renault 4 with 186,000 miles on it!  Since I am kind of a Ford man, it saddens me that the Pope will now give up driving the 5-6 year old Focus that had been his main set of wheels for tooling around the Vatican. . .