Pope Francis’ Visit To U.S.: Pontiff’s Surprising Choice Of Car Makes Headlines
You won’t see His Holiness getting into a fancy limo during Pope Francis visit to the U.S., his choice of vehicle is unlike any most world leaders making an official visit would pick.
When a head of state makes an official visit anywhere in the world, the first thing we see is the black limo surrounded by bodyguards. But not this leader.
Pope Francis makes a historic visit to the U.S. and will kick things off when he meets with President Obama Wednesday morning. Thousands gathered to welcome the Pontiff when he arrived in the country Tuesday, his first ever visit to the nation in any capacity.
However, what we saw instead of the large comfy limo, was a black Fiat 500L — unusual to say the least. Pope Francis visit to the U.S. will be historic in many ways, but the Pontiff’s mode of transportation is already making headlines.
Fiat — an Italian brand — took to Twitter to gush about Pope Francis choosing their car to scoot around during his visit to the U.S.
#blessed https://t.co/AViaYZigjb
— FIAT USA (@FIATUSA) September 22, 2015
His Holiness knows how to make an entrance. #FIAT500L #PopeInDC pic.twitter.com/a6pLZXQXTL
— FIAT USA (@FIATUSA) September 22, 2015
Following his own preaching, the always humble Pope Francis chose a car with a price tag that makes it very affordable and with great gas mileage. Many were surprised to see him getting into such a small vehicle, but he has become a fierce defender of the environment and it shows.
The car Pope Francis will use during his visit to the U.S. stood out even more, because it was surrounded by gigantic General Motors SUVs carrying the Secret Service detail in charge of keeping him safe while in the U.S. The tiny car will be known as the Popemobile when the Pope uses it.
Wednesday morning, the first full day of Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., he greeted school children who came to catch a glimpse at the leader of the Catholic Church. Following the exciting exchanges, the Pope got into his Fiat as security watched closely.
Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S. is already making headlines, and his Fiat is something that is being widely praised on social media. People are definitely excited to see the Pope’s surprising choice.
In September 2013, Pope Francis received a white vintage 1984 Renault 4 from a retired priest, which he used to drive around Rome. The car reportedly came with 180,000 miles.
— Busted Halo (@BustedHalo) August 28, 2015
[Photo by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images]
