Holy wheels

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican is getting into the used car market. Pope John Paul II recently auctioned off his silver-blue-runabout Ford Escort for a surprisingly high US$130,000.

The new owner, U.S. resident, Jim Rich, will get a rare bonus. The Pope John Paul II Foundation agreed to pay for a return airfare to Rome, a photo opportunity with the Pontiff and an invitation to attend a private mass.