Philadelphia giving pope a bike with angel wing chain guard
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Philadelphia has a couple of gifts for visiting Pope Francis – an ivory-bone China bowl featuring images of Independence Hall and St. Peter’s Basilica, and a bike with a chain guard shaped like an angel’s wing.
Mayor Michael Nutter presented the gifts to Archbishop Charles Chaput at the opening ceremony Tuesday for the World Meeting of Families, the Vatican-sponsored conference that’s bringing Francis to Philadelphia.
Francis arrives in the city Saturday after stops in Washington and New York.
The custom-made bowl from suburban Philadelphia-based Lenox features 24-karat gold trim and inscriptions of values shared by Francis and America’s founding fathers: liberty, friendship, unity, peace and love.
The bike evokes the pope’s push for environmentally friendly transportation. It’s a Breezer Downtown 8, inscribed with Francis’ name in Spanish and church symbols.