PICTURE: Courtesy of Lamborghini
A special edition Lamborghini Huracan sports car donated to Pope Francis will be auctioned off with some of the funds raised going to help rebuild Christian settlements on Iraq’s Nineveh Plains which were destroyed by the so-called Islamic State.
The brand new white car, which was delivered to the Vatican on Wednesday, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s on 12th May next year. All of the proceeds will go to charity.
Recipents include Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, who will use the funds in support of a project it is running to help displaced Christians, who have been dependent on emergency aid since 2014, return to their original towns and villages in northern Iraq.
Other funds from the auction will be presented to the The Pope John XXIII Community, dedicated to helping women who are victims of trafficking and other abuses, and two Italian associations that run initiatives in Africa aimed at aiding women and children in need.
Alfredo Mantovani and Alessandro Monteduro, president and director of ACN (Italy), said in statement that they had thanked the Pope and assured him they would use the gift to help bring thousands more Christians back to Nineveh.
“The gift to the Pope by the car manufacturer is a good example of how big companies can actually help Christians who suffer,” they added.
The special edition vehicle was created by Lamborghini’s customisation department and while predominantly white, also features gold stripes in reflection of the colours of the flag of Vatican City.
