Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Pope Francis autographs a Lamborghini Huracan coupe presented by representatives of the Italian automaker at the Vatican in this 2017 file photo. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A custom-built 2018 Lamborghini Huracan coupe autographed by Pope Francis is back on the block, but, this time with an online fundraising platform, not at an elite European auction house.

The Italian luxury carmaker donated the white vehicle with gold stripes—to match the white and yellow of the Vatican City flag—to the pope in November 2017. The pope had put his diminutive signature on the car's hood, then the vehicle was put up for auction to raise money for charity.

However, it turns out the final bidder at the Sotheby's auction in Monaco in May did not finalize the transaction and the promised $800,000 sale fell through, according to information provided by Lamborghini.

The winner gets airfare to Rome, accommodation in a four-star hotel and a private ceremony of receiving the new car keys in the presence of Pope Francis.

In an effort to still raise funds for a good cause, Lamborghini has decided it will offer people around the world—not just the highest bidder—the chance to win the unique vehicle.

Donations begin at $10 in order to enter the contest, according to the campaign.

The winner gets airfare to Rome, accommodation in a four-star hotel and a private ceremony of receiving the new car keys "in the presence of Pope Francis and Lamborghini CEO, Stefano Domenicali" at the Vatican, according to the fundraising page.

Proceeds were to go to rebuilding villages "that have been devastated by violence and war, assist victims of human trafficking, provide medical care and education to those living in poverty" by being distributed through Charities Aid Foundation of America.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

President Donald Trump meets South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Trump offered a vibrant demonstration of the kind of worst-case scenario Pope Leo may have had in mind about the collapse of critical thinking.
Kevin ClarkeMay 22, 2025
In his first appointment of a top-level official of the Roman Curia, Pope Leo XIV named Sister Tiziana Merletti, a canon lawyer, to be secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
“We were once leaders in petroleum and gas research; now we’re becoming leaders in green hydrogen and carbon capture. This isn’t just a technological shift; it’s a spiritual one.”
Gerard O’ConnellMay 22, 2025
A cardinal reflects on his experience of the conclave