Papal road rules drive flock closer to God

Drivers wanting to steer clear of the road to perdition should abide by 10 new commandments handed down by the Vatican.

Speeding and dangerous overtaking are forbidden, as are rude hand signals.

Pope Benedict XVI's choice of wheels is the sluggish Popemobile, in the Vatican City there are hardly any cars and the speed limit is less than 50km/h.

But the pontiff is so concerned about road rage he has asked his staff to draw up a list of rules for the highway, including thou shalt not use a car “for sinful purposes”.

A 58-page Vatican document, Guidelines for Pastoral Care of the Road, urges drivers to avoid road rage, to respect the rights of pedestrians, and to make the sign of the cross before setting off.

Road users must not make “rude gestures” at other drivers, or use cars to show off and “arouse envy” — a tough call in Italy, where aspiring to own a Ferrari to demonstrate power and affluence (and impress women) is considered a male birthright.

“Cars tend to bring out the primitive side of human beings, thereby producing rather unpleasant results,” the document said. It appealed instead to the “nobler tendencies” in the human spirit.

Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican Office for Migrants and Itinerant People, said the Vatican felt it necessary to address “the pastoral needs of motorists” because cars formed such a central part of modern life.

He cited World Health Organisation statistics that said an estimated 1.2 million people were killed in road crashes each year and as many as 50 million were injured.

“That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church,” he said.

The fifth commandment — “Cars shall not be an expression of power and domination or an occasion for sin” — referred in part to motorists who used their cars to pick up prostitutes, which was “an offence to human dignity”, Cardinal Martino said.

Some drivers behaved in an “unsatisfactory and even barely human manner”.

They should avoid “unbalanced behaviour” such as “impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, or blasphemy” and would do better to use the time spent in a car for prayer, which would “immerse them in the presence of God so that they remain under His protection”.

While earthly concerns have tended to focus on careless use of mobile phones, the Vatican suggests that passengers can safely recite the rosary because “the rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention”.

The document urges dioceses to help set up chapels along motorways, with priests holding mass or offering spiritual comfort at service stations.

Motorist's code
The Vatican's office for migrants and itinerants has issued 10 commandments for drivers:

1. You shall not kill;
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm;
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events;
4. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents;
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin;
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fit condition to do so;
7. Support the families of accident victims;
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness;
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party; and
10. Feel responsible towards others.