Updated 02:27 AM EDT, Fri, Mar 29, 2024

A Holy iPad? Pope Francis' Tablet Auctioned For $40K!

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An iPad used by Pope Francis is about to be auctioned in Montevideo, Uruguay, on April 14.

The Apple gadget was given by Pope Francis to Uruguayan priest Gonzalo Aemilius during one of the latter's visits to Vatican City, a report by EFE published on Fox News Latino stated. Proceeds of the iPad will be donated to a Catholic high school in the northwestern Uruguayan city of Paysandu, with hopes of raising up to $40,000 "to expand the facility, make room for more students, and to build a multi-sport center," the news outlet wrote.

As stated in the report, Aemilius said the Pope gave him the iPad "to do with whatever he considered appropriate." The priest then financed the new Liceo Francisco School promoted by three Paysandu families and local church authorities, EFE added. The school, which was inaugurated this year, is reportedly modeled on another institution Aemilius runs in Montevideo.

Monica Olivelli, principal of the Liceo Francisco School, said that they aim to add 50 students each year "in addition to those already enrolled," the news outlet noted. The students all came from families with low income. Olivelli also describes the facility as "an all-day, religious, free and privately run educational center."

The iPad used by Pope Francis has an engraved text that reads "Su Santidad Francisco" and "Vatican Internet service," along with the date March 2013, the auction house relayed to EFE. Auctioneer Juan Castells reportedly said that the auction house is grateful for the attention that Pope Francis' iPad provided for them.

"There is interest not only in our country. Recently, we received calls from around the world. The buzz has been great," Castells revealed. "This is the iPad the Pope was using regularly and, besides, it has a certificate of authenticity from the Vatican itself."

Olivelli refered to the sale as "a solidarity auction," making it clear that the iPad wouldn't be sold if the bids did not reach the $40,000 mark. She also noted that the gadget has a "sentimental value" and that it wouldn't be a surprise if some people would find the price "funny," the news outlet wrote.

She added, "Besides, we had to start from zero to build this project and there is still much to do."

Pope Francis in the Anniversary Commemoration of Armenian Mass Killing

Pope Francis is set to attend a service in the Armenian Catholic rite in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of a mass killing of Armenians by Turks. The murder took place in the early 20th century and was "defined two years ago as the first genocide of the modern era," Crux Now reported.

The commemoration, which will take place on April 12, could cause diplomatic controversy, given that Turkey insists that "what happened a century ago was the result of civil war and unrest, and that the Armenian death toll has been inflated," Crux Now wrote.

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