Two popemobiles arrive for Pope Francis’ visit

Pope Francis will be using two popemobiles – one in Malta and the other in Gozo – during his visit starting Saturday, and they both arrived on Thursday. The papal transporters will not be used during his entire trip but only to get the pontiff into Valletta for the meeting with the highest dignitaries, for part of his trip in Gozo and then again as he enters Floriana for Sunday’s Mass. The rest of the time, he will be in the official car, a Fiat Cinquecento. One popemobile is built by Mercedes-Benz – which holds the record for the most popemobiles produced – and the other is a Dodge, donated to the pope in 2017 and used in Ireland the following year. For security reasons, it was not divulged on Thursday which will be used where. Both vehicles are open on the sides, with a clear shield in front and above. The term “popemobile” was coined in the 1970s. Over the years, many different car brands, styles and designs have been used. Meanwhile, an advance delegation arrived in Malta at the beginning of the week to ensure that all is prepared and going according to plan. The delegation went over the logistics with a fine toothcomb, precisely measuring distances the pope needs to walk...