Pope Francis was known for his simple and humble way of life. He turned down the spacious papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace and never moved out of the Vatican hotel, where he and the other cardinals participating in the 2013 conclave were housed in modest rooms.
Francis eschewed the crimson, fur-trimmed “mozzetta” (mantle) and did not wear a gold cross, instead retaining around his neck the same faded silver-plated cross he wore as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
He also did not wear the luxurious red “fisherman’s shoes” used by his predecessors, instead sticking to simple black shoes.
He always used $20 worth of plastic watches, some of which he gave away to be auctioned off for charity.
The bulletproof papal limousine was moved to the Vatican Museums, and Francis traveled around Rome in a blue Ford Focus with no safety features.
In late 2024, the Vatican unveiled a new open-top popemobile – an electric Mercedes-Benz – that Francis used to greet pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
