10 Oddest Gifts Given to Pope Benedict XVI



(Romereports.com) It was with this smile that Bulgaria's president told the Pope that his gift, simply didn't fit in the Papal Library. Moments later, it was easy to see why. The gift was this huge 440 pound Easter Egg, made of steel and decorated with ruby stones. It may not be a practical gift, but it definitely falls into the list of the 10 strangest gifts that the Pope has given or received. 

Starting in tenth place is another Easter egg. This one weighs much less and it's made of chocolate.It was a gift that the Pope didn't eat but instead offered to a juvenile detention center in Rome.

In ninth place is the world's smallest Bible. It's a high tech microchip that holds all the sacred texts. Shimon Peres gave it to the Pope during his visit to the Holy Land. Fortunately, they had a magnifying glass to see it. 

At number eight is Bodmer Papyrus, which is the oldest manuscript of the New Testament. It was given to Benedict XVI and now it's held at the Vatican's Apostolic Library. 

In seventh place are concerts. These type of gifts are actually quite common during Benedict XVI's pontificate. This one was directed by Riccardo Muti. The concert was a gift from Italy's president. Then there is this other one, which was held at Castel Gandolfo. (August 10, 2011)

Then, number six is also related to music. On his 81st birthday the Pope visited the White House. As a gift, President George Bush gave him a collection of country music. 
At number five, there is this modern gift. Mexico's TV network 'Azteca' gave the Pope an iPod with 14 hours of traditional Mexican music. It also included a few of Mozart song's so the Pope could enjoy his flight to Mexico. 

“We knoe that you are very involved in technology, that you like Twiter, you have an iPad, and you have this iPod with classic music and Mexican music for your trip ”

The number four spot is this race car wheel, which was given to the Pope by the president of Ferrari, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. The Pope had quite a reaction. 

LUCA CORDERO DI MONTEZEMOLO
“Look how many things have to be controlled by the drivers during the races! ”BENEDICT XVI
“It is also complicated the steering wheel of the Church...”

In third place is the huge Easter egg given to the Pope by the president of Bulgaria. Because of its size, it may be placed in the Vatican's Contemporary Art Collection Museums. 
In second place there is this set of 12 dessert plates, given to the Pope by Prince Charles. They include hand painted  flowers from the garden of Highbrow, which is where the son of the Queen of England, lives. But even the Prince questioned the practicality of the gift. 

"I do not know if it will be useful ...".

In first place, is a gift given to the Pope by a German bishop. For his 80th birthday, he was given 20 gallons of beer, so he could toast to his health. But the Pope decided to give the gift to the Swiss Guard. Even though he likes beer, he has always said that his favorite drink, is simply orange juice. 
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