Eco Popemobile Competition

The popemobile will become a green machine, thanks to a new competition which invites students to design an eco-friendly vehicle for the Pontiff.

The low-emission vehicle will have to meet the Vaticans high standards for safety, which are intended to protect the head of the Catholic church from attack.

But for the Pope Benedict, 84, who is sometimes described as the ‘green’ pope, because of the environmentally friendly modifications to buildings in the Vatican that have appeared during his reign, his current set of wheels, a modified Mercedes Benz is just not green enough.

The Pope is understood to be a believer in the importance of respecting creation as a moral issue.

Last year Vatican officials announced that Benedict was interested in having a ‘hybrid’ popemobile, which would run on a combination of fossil fuels and electricity, as an outward sign of his support for green issues.

Now The Vatican Newspaper L’Ossevatore Romano has announced details of the competition which will see young designers compete to come up with the best solution for the eco-popemobile.