Here's how the Pope will fly, drive and sleep in style while in the U.S.
We're all familiar with the Popemobile, but did you know that the moniker doesn't just apply to a single vehicle that putters il papa around the world's streets? And while the media likes to toss around the Shepherd One nickname, unlike our Commander-in-chief, the Pope doesn't actually travel by private plane. Meanwhile, there's a reason you're never offered the papal suite at a luxury hotel. The Pope only sleeps on church property.
When the Pope hits the road or runway or even pillow, he does so with some tried and true options that his entourage has streamlined over the years — actually, make that centuries. Here's a peak at the whips, wings and lodgings Pope Francis will be using while traveling through the U.S. on his very first visit to our country:
Popemobile | If you close your eyes and think Popemobile, a hybrid of a clown car, flatbed El Camino, and the Midtown Apple Store probably comes to mind. But the classic bulletproof glass box on wheels that many of us peg for the Popemobile was really just one of a multitude of options currently in favor at the time.
While previous popes (We're looking at you up there, Benedict and John Paul.) have favored luxury vehicles built by Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz, Pope Francis will be keeping things casual in a modified Jeep Wrangler when he hits the streets in D.C., Philadelphia and New York. Francis' souped up ride will also do away with the iconic glass box, leaving the sides of his perch totally open to better see the adoring masses. A protective top and front will guard him from any non-believer pigeons that may attempt to ruin the moment.
Shepherd One | There's no single jet akin to the president's Air Force One or even, ugh, Trump One. The Pope sees plenty of gold and glamour back home in the Vatican, so he hardly has need for gold seat belts. Instead, a chartered Alitalia jet takes on flight number AZ 4000 when the Pope needs to fly somewhere in Europe.
When abroad, the papal entourage (and accompanying press corps) tends to stick to the national carrier. Here in the U.S., the Pope will be flying the next closest thing, American Airlines. Since chartered jets don't come cheap, the price of the plane on the rented route is actually subsidized by the press corp in exchange for access to il papa. Pope Francis reportedly greets every single fellow passenger aboard.
Sanctuary | His holiness doesn't stay in hotels when traveling, and he certainly won't be checking into your Airbnb. The Catholic Church, after all, is one of the biggest owners of real estate in the entire world. While in the U.S., Francis has cobbled together sleeping arrangements in the three major cities of his tour.
In our nation's capital, the Pope will catch some shuteye at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See. In New York, Francis will catch up on his beauty sleep at Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations, essentially the Vatican's embassy to the U.N.. And for the Philadelphia leg of his trip, the Pope will bunk up with Archibishop Charles Chaput at his residence at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. All three options would struggle to make it to the fourth star on Airbnb. Each of the Pope's lodging options are described as modest at best, but that's just how Francis likes it.