WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Three identical cars that Pope Francis used during his July visit to Poland are being auctioned online by a Catholic Church charity to fund support for Syrian refugees and Polish people in need.
Francis was driven in three navy blue Volkswagen Golf cars during his July 27-31 stay in the southern city of Krakow for World Youth Day events. The cars bore the registration plates K1 POPE , K2 POPE and K3 POPE .
The Krakow branch of the Caritas charity says Tuesday that each car is worth 80,000 zlotys ($21,000) and will be sold to the highest bidders in an online auction running through Oct. 9.
Caritas says the car sales will help finance a mobile clinic for Syrians in Lebanon and a shelter for elderly and disabled people in Poland.
The move follows similar steps by other venues Pope Francis has visited.
Last January, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that one of the dark gray Fiat 500Ls used by Pope Francis to make his way around the City of Brotherly Love in September 2015 will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting four Catholic charities.
In April, the website Charitybuzz auctioned one of the Fiat 500s that toted Pope Francis around New York in September 2015. Miles Nadal, an entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist, paid $300,000 for the car.
Proceeds in that case went to Catholic schools and charities in New York, as well as to the international organizations Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
