Pope a great regifter
Regifting is always a contentious issue, particularly around this time of the year. But there is a serious difference between unloading the awful shirt that Aunty Gladys wrapped up for you and giving away a custom Lamborghini that was given to you by the factory last Christmas...
But that is exactly what Pope Francis has done. And, no, we aren’t talking about an ugly shirt from his aunt.
His Holiness has lent his name and given his car to a charity raffle – and that car is indeed a one-off 2016 Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 that the Italian company gave to him in 2017.
The Huracan was modified by Lamborghini’s Ad Personam customisation department for papal duties. And, no, that doesn’t mean a Popemobile-style bulletproof bubble was added on the back – in this case it means it is finished in Bianco Monocerus white and Giallo Tiberino gold paintwork, paying homage to the colours of the Vatican City flag.
If that seems like a pretty impressive gift to just give away, don’t worry, the Pope isn’t being ungrateful – it was always intended to use the Huracan to raise money for charity and, indeed, it even went to auction earlier last year for that very purpose. At an auction at RM Sotheby’s earlier this year it sold for NZ$1.28 million (more than double what a 2016 LP580-2 sells for), but the sale fell through, leading to it popping up as a raffle prize this festive season.
Online fundraising platform Omaze has the holy Huracan for raffle now, with tickets starting at US$10 (NZ$15) for 100 entries. Proceeds will go to the Charities Aid Foundation America, which says it will distribute the donations to ‘‘rebuild areas devastated by violence and war, aid victims of human trafficking, provide medical care and education to impoverished peoples, and perform other life-saving work’’.
But it’s not just the papally-signed and, yes, blessed Huracan that is up for grabs – the winner will also receive a trip for two to Vatican City, where they will also meet the Pope and Lamborghini chief executive Stefano Domenicali at a private event to hand over the keys.