The Pope news - White Van Pope - 2009

The Pope gets given a lot of cars. A VW Phaeton W12, for one. And a customised Merc G-Class. And a Volvo XC90. And a BMW X5.

But what if he wants to transport six of his Popey friends in comfort? OK, technically they’d squeeze into the XC90, but it’d be a bit tight. Which is why Fiat has presented Benedict XVI (what is it with these Popes and their unpronounceable surnames?) with a Fiat Ducato van.

The van has arrived just in time for the Pope’s tour of Abruzzo, the region struck by an earthquake last month. It’s a plush van, for sure – the Ducato is fitted with five white leather seats in the rear in a lounge-style configuration, along with, says Fiat, ‘the most advanced systems for safety and low environmental impact’.

Of course, ownership of the Ducato does mean that the Pope has, technically, become… a white van man. Who’s up for scrawling, “If only my conscience was this clean” on the rear window?