Pope to the Hills

With Roman temperatures averaging 77DEG last week and likely to go higher in August and September, 78-year-old Pope Pius XI directed his household to make ready to move out this week for a two-month stay at Castel Gandolfo. the rustic papal snuggery in the Alban Hills.

When the Holy Father goes motoring he has a choice among five of the 250 automobiles registered with Vatican City plates (SCV).* He owns a Dodge, a Citroen, a Fiat, a Mercedes, an Isotta-Fraschini, all gifts from pious admirers. If the Pope picks his favorite car this week for the 17-mile jaunt to the hills, he will clamber into the Dodge sedan, in which the back seat has been replaced with a large chair, slightly raised and overstuffed under red damask. In front of this is a small folding seat for the Pope's secretary. According to Papal Chauffeur Angelo Stoppa: "His Holiness likes speed. He orders me to drive between 40 and 45 m.p.h., and he likes it. The Pope does not speak to me very often when he is riding. In the Dodge his orders are given through special signals on the dashboard. There are only four of them--for the Italian equivalent of right, left, stop and home."

*Romans interpret those letters according to their sympathies--Sacra Citta Vaticano (Holy Vatican City): Stato Civile Vaticano (Vatican Civil State) ; or Se Cristo Vedesse (If Christ but

saw!).

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