Pope Francis’s Hyundai Popemobile Ready For Syundai Mass

Pope Francis's Hyundai Pope Mobile Ready For Syundai Mass
Pope Francis's Hyundai Pope Mobile Ready For Syundai Mass

Pope Francis, one to preach humility, took action into his own hands according to the National Catholic Reporter and ditched his Mercedes Benz Pope Mobile for a simple Hyundai Santa Fe derived open-top SUV. The open top Hyundai got its world debut during Pope Francis’s weekly address this week on Wednesday.  According to the Pope’s own private security detail, the Hyundai was favored over the wider Mercedes because of its narrow body. Apparently it’s easier to flank the Pope on either side especially when negotiating narrow streets that were once built to accommodate a vehicle no wider than an ox-cart, save a papal vehicle. Check out their post for official pictures!

But the way Pope Francis has been using KIAs and Hyundais you’d think that the Vatican has some sort of deal with the South Koreans. When Pope Francis visited the Philippines earlier this year amidst strong hurricane winds and rain, the South Korean automaker prepared a special KIA Popemobile styled from a KIA Sedona. And when Pope Francis preferred a closed roof vehicle to make his way through the rough and ready streets of Tacloban, Pope Francis preferred the simple KIA Soul to traverse around. Not to mention the couple of times he was in South Korea last year, his preferred ride was….you guessed it…in a KIA. A KIA Sedona and standard Hyundai Santa Fe to be exact.

When Francis is putting around on his own, he’ll most likely be seen in his 2008 Ford Focus equipped with the barest of amenities or his more eclectic choice, a 1984 Renault 4 hatchback. If there’s danger afoot, don’t expect the Pope to make a quick escape. The Ford Focus only has 140 HP from its 2.0 liter four cylinder and even less in the Renault which can muster 34 HP from its 1.1 liter 4-cylinder. 

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If you’re looking for a biblical reason for why Pope Francis does what he does, look no further than the main man himself J.C. (Jesus of Nazareth.) Upon entering Jerusalem in a triumphant return of sorts (Matthew 21 1:11) he came not riding on a triumphant steed of noble lineage, but rather on a borrowed Donkey from a fellow daughter of Zion. Just don’t tell the South Koreans that. I don’t think they’d take lightly to their vehicles being compared to the lowliest forms of transportation as far as the animal kingdom goes.