Armando Jesús Lovera, a Peruvian living in Spain and working for a book publisher, drives a Citroën. Like anyone with an older but not too old Citroën or Peugeot, he sometimes finds the car throwing a CEL or a warning in the dashboard next to the radio station and temperature – for example, the typical “Anti-Pollution System Faulty” or “Catalytic Converter Fault” warning.
As many of us do, he troubleshoots his car problems with his friends over WhatsApp. One of his more mechanically inclined friends is called Bob,” who suggested that Armando keep his eye on the engine temperature after Armando told him that his Citroën was having issues during a drive home from a book event and sent Bob a photo of the warning.
“What’s going on with the Citroën?” asked Bob. “It’s dying.” “Is it running or is it stopped somewhere?” Bob, as you might have guessed from the headline, is Pope Leo XIV, originally known as Robert Prevost before his papal era. A recent New York Times article, “One of the Pope’s Best Friends Works in Spain. They Often Talk Cars,” describes how Armando Jesús Lovera and “Bob” still exchange texts now and then, and the conversation includes how to keep cars running.
The Pope, in his present life, delivers spiritual guidance and leads the Catholic church, but it is somehow a nice thought that he knows oil passages as well as Bible passages. Especially since the TU engines in 1980s-2000s Citroëns sometimes develop head gasket issues due to the oil passages leaking in the front right corner of the engine.
I’ve watched the recent papal HBO series, Young Pope and its sequel, New Pope. They’re great, but I’m already hoping for the third series to be Car Pope.
We’ve written extensively about how the current pontiff is a car guy from Chicago, not afraid to ride a motorcycle. A year ago, Jason also noted that he sort of resembles Lee Iacocca, and that the Vatican State is tariff-free and, as a result, could work as a location for a car factory. Ford’s Jim Farley mentioned that Pope Leo used to drive a manual Ford Fusion before he moved on to riding in Popemobiles.
It’s not too far-fetched to think he might read automotive sites and blogs sometimes, especially if he does diagnose car problems over WhatsApp with some of his oldest friends. Some publications speculate that he is the first pope to know how to change spark plugs, but as Pope John Paul II drove a humble mid-1970s Ford Escort before being elected pope in 1978, it’s likely he also got his hands dirty in the engine bay.
Robert Francis Prevost met Armando Jesús Lovera in the early 1990s, as they lived in the same formation house in Trujillo for seven years. As Lovera tells in his new book, “From Robert to Pope Leo”, they often went on the same road trips around Peru in the ‘90s, talking cars. In Peru, Prevost drove a grey Toyota Hilux, which is probably one of the most dependable vehicles you can drive on South American roads. Some of those trips to communities in the Andes or to the capital city, Lima, took over twelve hours. Talking cars is a great way to while away the time.
In 1999, Prevost returned to the Midwest to lead the Augustinian Order, and Lovera eventually moved to Spain, leaving the missionary life behind. They kept in touch through the years, and after Lovera got married, Prevost became a friend of the family. To Lovera’s young daughters, the Pope is still part of the family rather than the head of the Catholic Church. The New York Times also has this great quote about how Pope Leo’s brother still calls and asks for computer help.
“And Roberto says, ‘John, I’m the pope,’” Mr. Lovera recalled. “‘Oh, sorry, pope,’” the pope’s brother responded, according to Mr. Lovera. “‘My computer is broken.’”
On his own calls to the pope, Mr. Lovera said that he didn’t talk about tech or politics or about the church’s future. Instead, he said, “I talk about cars!”
I wonder if they discussed the new Ferrari Luce, whose steering wheel the pope was gifted a while ago.
Top graphic images: DepositPhotos.com; The Vatican
The previous post teases us with an Unholey story, then we get true holiness. More Autopian sneaky brilliance.
The Vatican should jump on this marketing opportunity and release a series of podcasts with the Pope talking cars. You could even have a call-in format like Car Talk used to do. Heck, pair “Bob” up with Ray Magliozzi, that would be hilarious!
Call it “Holy Rollers”
“young pope leo looks like a ska scene regular who goes by Upbeat but no one knows his real name” (Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/lolennui.bsky.social/post/3mjnnjjsvwk2x)
Since we always hear about Jesus taking the wheel, it makes complete sense that the Pope can keep those wheels turning.
Kudos on that header image and tag line.
Yea, Antti or Peter or whoever made the top should get COTD today for that one!
“Some publications speculate that he is the first pope to know how to change spark plugs, but as Pope John Paul II drove a humble mid-1970s Ford Escort before being elected pope in 1978, it’s likely he also got his hands dirty in the engine bay.”
And Pope Francis drove a Renault 4 when he lived in Argentina. Because of that an Italian priest donated a 30-year-old Renault 4 to Pope Francis shortly after he became pope. Over the years the pope would occasionally drive that Renault 4 around the Vatican. So there’s indeed a bit of history of popes being gearheads…
Man I just get a mental picture of the Pope and Jay Leno in a garage working on the popemobile. He in his Pope robes and Jay in his all denim look.
I have always called the mechanic’s shirt, or any shirt that has a first name sewn on above the pocket a “Bob” shirt – as in “What seems to be wrong with my car, Bob?”
I had to wear one for several of my previous jobs, I wonder if Robert Prevost ever had to wear one.
I collect “Bob Shirts” that I find at thrift stores, and yes, I do have a few that say Bob!
I had a boss named Bob, and I found I’d use his first name in conversation with him way more than I would with anyone else b/c it made me feel like I was in a sitcom or movie. As in “Hi Bob!” or “Well Bob, the thing is…”
One of my workers is 19 and just learned that Bob is short for Robert. She was really shocked when she then learned what Richard can be shortened to.
I still need to read the series “We Are Legion (We Are Bob)” but as a devotee of both NOMEANSNO and The Church of Subgenius, I am very much in favor of Bob.
“He saved a wrench like me.” That’s pretty amazing, Grace.
I came to say the same, it really made me laugh. A+ on that.
Pope Leo aka Bob proves once again he is good for more than just Catholics.
Is there a car heaven? I’d like to think so.
Hell broke Luce.*
*Apologies to Tom W.
When the Bible says “let there be light”, I don’t think that Ferrari is what it’s referring to
Excellent word play in this article. Bravo.
Hmmm. Autopian. Pope. Autopopean?
Aupopean.
Dear Heavenly Spirit. Thank you for providing us with the direct-port nitrous injection, four-core intercoolers, and ball-bearing turbos, and titanium valve springs.
And water/methanol injection 🙂
Subarew 6:11: give us this day our daily head gasket
He must be important… the Pope is his mechanic!
Self proclaimed car guys do not buy manual Ford Fusions by mistake. He bought that thing ON PURPOSE.
Little by little, I run out of reasons to call myself Protestant.
My wife and I converted this Easter. Come home!
/j /srs
Truth be told I probably would have converted a few years ago, but my wife and I teach Sunday school at our church and were too attached to the kiddos.
He’s a White Sox fan and a petrolhead. He’s one of us boys!
…I’d listen to his car advice. I’d even listen to it on the radio. Wonder if he has a brother…
Hey! I’m-a da Pope-a!
Just when I thought that I couldn’t like the Pope more, we get this news.
I’m an ex-Catholic, but if there was anyone who might convince me to return to the flock, it’s Da Pope.
Dammit. I heard Da Pope in the same stereotype accent as Da Bears. Im going to hell
For a lizardman, that might be quite pleasant.
The last two popes have been good people.
Having a good person as Pope is not enough to bring me back. If he can synchronize a triple Weber setup, we can talk.
Being a good person seems like it would be a basic requirement for the job, yet here we are praising two guys for breaking a streak and just being good people.
The previous article was titled Unholey and now we have an article about Da Pope. I thought we were passed the point in the year when fast food franchises nationwide flood the market with fish sandwiches.
Subaru owners praying it isn’t the head gasket AGAIN 😛
I don’t, having a Ford Escort in 1970s Communist Poland was probably considered pretty fancy for the time and place, even though Poland did build some of the better cars in the Soviet bloc
Confirmed. My theory is, as a high ranking priest (Archbishop of Cracow) he didn’t have much of a chance at getting a factory fresh Polish Fiat or something like that, but he could get something from the west via church connections.
Also, he was sort of a car guy but he never had a driver’s license.
Another fun trivia about priests and cars in Poland: once the commies were out priests got some kind of a tariff exemption as a “we’re sorry” package from the state, which meant in the 90’s the best car in the school parking lot was always, and I mean always, the priest’s. The principal: 126p or a Polonez. The priest: 2 year old imported Renault, at the very least.
The priest who married my parents had a DeLorean, but I understand he didn’t have it very long, it was long gone by the time I was alive and able to notice such things. Apparently, it got embarrassing for the tow truck to be at the rectory so frequently
Pope Leo is a good guy. Hoping he’s also bringing the good news of Chicago deep dish to Vatican City.
If you’re having a Chicago pizza, “tavern style” is the way to go, not the tomato soup in a bread bowl that purports to be “pizza”. Thankfully the Prevosts seemed to grow up in an area where the tavern style was more dominant.
Pretty sure deep dish is original sin.
I’m not Catholic, so there’s very little danger in me being elected pope one day, but this is exactly how I would hope my brothers and I would handle the situation.
I’m catholic. I diagnosed the Sistine Chapel’s head gasket issue right around when Leo was announced.
When it turns from black smoke to white smoke, you know it’s moved on to burning coolant instead of running rich, and time for a change.
We love good Catholic representation around these parts.
Epic puns like “He Saved a Wrench like me” are how I know I am on the right site!
A true masterpiece
Tagline Of The Day
I was blind to the glory of The Autopoan, but now I see.