Pope Francis is raffling off personal gifts he has received and plans to donate the money raised to help the poor.
The Pope, who in January auctioned off a Harley Davidson motorcycle the company gave him, is
raffling off 13 things he has been given, Reuters said, including a Homero Ortega hat, a four-wheel-drive Fiat Panda, and an espresso coffee machine.
The raffle was announced by a poster at the Vatican, which also said there will be 30 “consolation prizes” given away. Tickets are $12.50 and the lucky winners will be announced Jan. 8.
“In the past, most gifts given to popes have either been quietly given away to missions, church institutions, or have gathered dust in a Vatican warehouse,” Reuters wrote.
If this raffle goes as well as the motorcycle auction, the Vatican should be able to do a lot of good for the poor. The bike, a Harley Dyna Glide, was valued at between $18,000 and $22,000. But it sold, with the Pope’s signature on the gas tank, for $327,000.
Pope Francis has made it a core focus of his papacy to help the poor.
“Francis, known for his simplicity, has overhauled the Vatican's finances to make them more efficient and to
devote more money to charity,” The Associated Press said.
A Vatican spokesperson told The Daily Beast that some personal items that are monogrammed are not included in this raffle, but if the raffle goes well, i.e., raises a lot of money, other raffles may be held.
Some of the many items the Pope has to give away include an iPhone, expensive pens, belts and shoes. “The papal raffle is expected to raise hundreds of thousands of euro and should easily clean the papal closets of hundreds of unneeded and unwanted gifts,” The Daily Beast said.
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