Pope Francis refuses to travel in a "tin can of sardines" - a bulletproof Papamobile. Despite concern for his safety, the Pontiff claims that at his age he has nothing to lose.
Pope Francis in his repertoire: the other day he dismissed all concerns regarding his personal safety, saying that he no longer wanted to travel to the "tin can of sardines" - Papamobile. He wants to be closer to ordinary people, and "at this age he already has almost nothing to lose."
The 77-year-old Pontiff created a headache for the Vatican security service by refusing to use a bullet-proof closed glass Papamobile. Already during his last trip to the Holy Land, which included public speaking in Jordan, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, there were situations that raised concerns about the safety of the Pope. Similar problems arose last July when Papa went to Rio de Janeiro for a week, where he visited the Favel slum area and rode in an open white jeep along Copacabana Beach.
Pope Francis, chosen last March, commented on his decision: "Yes, something can really happen, but let's face it, at my age I have almost nothing to lose."
“I know what can happen, but everything is in God's hands,” he added in an interview with Barcelona diary La Vanguardia. “I remember that in Brazil I was offered a closed Papamobile, but I can’t greet people and tell them that I love them, sitting in a tin can, even if it is made of glass. For me this is a real wall.”
The Argentine Pope chooses open cars as opposed to his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who drove around on the bulletproof Papamobile - a measure introduced after the attempted murder of John Paul II on St. Peter's Square in 1981. He says the historic decision last February to resign Pope Benedict created a precedent that would allow future pontiffs to resign instead of dying in office, as had been the case for all previous centuries.
The 87-year-old Benedict became the first Pope to voluntarily resign from the Middle Ages. Now he lives in a former monastery outside the walls of the Vatican city-state. “Benedict did an important thing,” said Pope Francis. - “He opened the door, created the institute of probable dads in retirement. Since now we live longer, one day we approach the age when we can no longer properly perform our duties. I plan to do the same as he: I ask God to indicate to me, when the moment comes, and tell me what to do next. And I'm sure that he will help me. "
