Pope John Paul II greets F1 Team! | FerrariChat

Pope John Paul II greets F1 Team!

Discussion in 'Collectables, Literature, & Models' started by BigTex, Jan 18, 2005.

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  1. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Bubba
    The Pope receives his model!

    AP News, as of 29 minutes ago.

    Greets F1 Championship team.

    Sorry, somebody do a link.......it's on Fox Sports World...a nice pic of Luca and Pierro
     
  2. Smiles

    Smiles F1 World Champ
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    From elsewhere:

    Pope Gets Red Ferrari of His Own

    VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul got a flame red Ferrari from the Italian world championship racing team on Monday -- a model of one, that is -- for having what they said was the inside track on the roads of humanity.

    Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher and the rest of the Ferrari team met the Pope in the Vatican's frescoed Clementina Hall to give him the 1:5 scale model of the car that won both the championship and constructor titles in 2004.

    Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo told the Pope Ferrari drivers, mechanics and management wanted to honor him because his courage and defense of human rights had put him "for the past 26 years in the pole position of the roads of humanity."

    Pole position refers to the most favorable position at the start of a race, given to the fastest car.

    "It is the first time that one of our cars -- even though it is a model -- has entered the Vatican," Montezemolo told the Pope. "We consider this the most prestigious finishing line for us. We feel like you are one of us and we thank you for the example you have given."

    There was a poignant contrast between the speed represented by the model car whose real version can reach 350 kph (218 mph) and the slow movement of the 84-year-old Pope, who no longer walks and was wheeled into the room on a special chair.

    But an emotional Schumacher later told reporters he found inspiration from being close to the Pope and from seeing how he copes with the debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease and severe arthritis.

    "It was very special to see his force and his personality," Schumacher said. "It is something great for us to have been here and hopefully to take all the emotions into the future for us and transmit it into motivation and obviously success as well."

    F1 team boss Jean Todt said he was moved "to silence by the energy, simplicity and humility" the Pope manages to relay despite his illnesses.

    Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher's teammate and a devout Catholic, brought a picture of his family and asked the Pope to bless it.

    "This is something you dream of when you are a kid and think it's impossible ... but now it has come true," Barrichello said.

    In his address the Pope, who rode in a real Ferrari when he visited the carmaker's plant in 1988, told the group sports was important for all of society and could spread values such as solidarity among peoples and nations.

    Todt, whose father was a Jewish refugee from the Pope's native Poland, said Ferrari would put a special edition of one of its cars up for auction in May and give the proceeds to charity in the Pope's honor.
     
  3. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Thanks, Smiles....


    The article I read, did not have that part about Rueben's photo!

    I wish I could link to the AP article, it has a great color photo of them all, with the model.......
     
  4. lukek

    lukek Formula 3
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    #4 lukek, Jan 18, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Thanks Lukek!

    Pierro, Luca, Todt, and I think that's Schumi's shoulder on the right of the photo.......

    Long time Ferraristi may recall the heat leveled at Enzo Ferrari after the very public deaths of Alberto Ascari, and later Lorenzo Bandini...national heroes.

    This event represents just how far things have come, between the two organizations......
     
  6. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    I'll cover ya!

    Or at least bake a cake with a file in it! LOL!
     
  7. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

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    How come the Pope gets one with tobacco branding on it?! Geez. That's hardly fair.
     
  8. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    AND a marble base......LOL!
     
  9. RocketBoy

    RocketBoy Formula 3

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    Come on Bubba, as much as I think Ferrari is an icon I think the Catholic Church can go along without the help of kind word from a local car manufacturer. I can recall from the crazy homerun race years ago between Sosa and Mac that following the season both made the journey to meet the pope. During their meeting, both players devout Christians, the pope mentioned to the awe-struck, jaw gasping athletes something like, " So I overhread you two had some sort of race going. " I think this was in SI. Ferrari and the Catholic Church having to move together? It is a move that is in the best interests of Ferrari.

    At the same time I think its two fold. All the Italian/Americans and Brazilians I know are very religious and hold the pope in such high regard. Obviously for RB this meeting was very personal. Luca seems like a great family man who installs his personal touch in the interactions he has with work. However, take a look at his PR moves lately of Luca. He seems like a great guy and the next man to be Italy's president but he has given the current Italian government, including the president, a fleet of QPs. During a recent EU summit he gave foreign nation reps a QP to tour Italy and attend their meetings in. I think Luca knows how to play the game to make people like him. As for the pope and the Catholic Church, I think their PR compaign has been pretty much been the same for a long, long time.

    RocketBoy
     
  10. rr1973

    rr1973 Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
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    Pope What Are you going to do with that car ?????

    Please Im accepting donations !!

    Thanks !!!!!
     
  11. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    I meant the opposite actually, when Enzo would suffer a race or practice fatality, ie. Ascari or Bandini, the Vatican would issue edicts condeming Ferrari and racing, accusing him of "consuming the brave young men of Italy" in his personal quest for fame and fortune.....

    Quite the opposite of this smoochy faced love fest......

    It would be pretty tough on him to bear those harsh criticisms.
     

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