Vatican City, Sep 10, 2013 / 15:12 pm
An Italian pastor has donated a used Renault 4 with 186,000 miles to Pope Francis, in response to the exhortation he made to priests and seminarians in July to live simply and humbly.
Father Renzo Roca, 69, who is pastor of St. Lucy Parish in Pescantina, wrote to the Holy Father offering to donate his car, according to news reports out of the Vatican.
The car was delivered to the Pontiff on Sept. 7 at St. Martha's Residence, shortly before the beginning of the Vigil for Peace which the Holy Father led in St. Peter's Square that evening.
"When I gave it to him, we got into the car, but I didn't have to explain anything to the Pope because he told me that he also used a Renault 4 in Argentina and that it never left him stranded," Father Roca said.