Pope Francis may have left the nation’s capital months ago, but city-goers who missed out on the historic papal visit can still get a glimpse of the next best thing: his wheels.
Both of the Fiat 500Ls that the pope used to motor around D.C. have been donated to to the Archdiocese of Washington, and the District has come up with creative ways of utilizing the popemobiles to continue to spread Francis’s message.
“In an ongoing effort to highlight the Holy Father’s emphasis on charitable works of the Church and to celebrate the warm enthusiasm and excitement that welcomed the pope to Washington, one of the two Fiat 500Ls will be used over the next year to highlight the ministries, public service, community engagement and ongoing acts of mercy of the Archdiocese of Washington and its Catholic Charities across the archdiocese,” the archdiocese said in a statement.
The papal Fiat made its first stop last week at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, where passersby could stop and have their picture taken with a life-sized cutout of Francis himself.
The archdiocese also has plans for the second car, but has not announced what role it will play in continuing to spread the pope’s message.
Those interested in seeing the popemobile in-person can follow the archdiocese’s hashtag, #drivewithfrancis, on Twitter for updates on locations and times.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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