Pope Accepts 20-year-old Car Gift From Italian Priest

An Italian priest has given Pope Francis a 20-
year-old white Renault 4 to drive himself around
Vatican city.
The car - which has 300,000 km (190,000 miles)
on the clock - was presented to the Pope by
Father Renzo Zocca at the weekend. The pontiff
later drove it.
Known for his humble lifestyle, Francis said he
used to drive the same car in his native
Argentina.
In a bid to encourage austerity in the Church, the
Pope has urged officials to avoid using expensive
limousines.
Father Zocca said he was moved by the Pope's
effort to create "a Church for the poor", and told
the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana that he
wanted to give him a gift.
"What better than my old Renault 4?" he asked.
Father Zocca said he was surprised to receive a
phone call from the pontiff accepting the gift.
The priest turned up at his Vatican residence on
Saturday to present the car.
The BBC's David Willey in Rome says the Pope's
bodyguards were amazed when he took the keys
and drove off.