Pope Francis is holding a raffle draw in Vatican in an effort to raise funds for the causes pertaining to the needs of the poor. Although this event is not the first time the Catholic church exerted effort to hold fund raising activities for the less fortunate, this raffle sets itself apart by having the vehicle of Pope Francis - a 4x4 Fiat Panda - as the grand prize for the lucky winner.
However, those who want to take part in this unique event may only purchase the raffle tickets in Vatican as they are not made available anywhere else or even online, CNN reported.
Aside from having the chance to win the car of the head of the Roman Catholic community, participants could also acquire other notable items owned by Pope Francis.
Oother prizes included in the event are gifts or donations given to the Pope by more than 1.2 billion followers of the Catholic Church. Vatican did not disclose the information about the specific donors of these items.
These prizes include several bicycles given to Pope Francis, which further reflected the people's appreciation of his simple lifestyle and refusal to immerse himself in luxurious things. A camera and an espresso machine were also included on the list of prizes along with the Pope's Panama hat and one of his leather suitcases.
While some of the prizes are gifts from Catholic members, Vatican clarified that they did not include items given by world leaders.
One of the most notable gifts given to Pope Francis is the pouch of seeds from United States President Barack Obama. The present was handed to the Pontiff in March 2014. The seeds from the president signified a fresh start for the relationship between the Catholic Church and the country after years of strained ties.
The first meeting of Pope Francis and Queen Elizabeth II in April 2014 was also marked by another memorable gift. The Supreme Governor of the Church of England along with her husband, Prince Philip, brought the Pope a bottle of whiskey, a jar of honey and a few other goods from their garden.
