Vatican City: St. Peter’s Square echoed with the deep roar of engines on Wednesday as a group of leather-clad motorcyclists known as the Jesus Bikers rode in from Germany to present Pope Leo XIV with a specially crafted motorcycle destined to raise funds for children in need.
The striking white BMW R 18 cruiser, redesigned in Germany by the Witzel company, was brought to Rome after a three-day pilgrimage ride from Schaafheim. The group, which blends Christian faith with biker culture, came as part of their Jubilee of Hope journey. At the end of his general audience on September 3, Pope Leo XIV blessed the motorcycle, signed its tank, and even climbed briefly onto the seat drawing warm applause from the bikers gathered around him.
The papal motorcycle is not meant for the Vatican garage. Instead, it will be auctioned in Munich on October 18, with proceeds going to support children trapped in hazardous mica mining in Madagascar. The charity drive is organized through Missio Austria, whose director, Father Karl Wallner, emphasized that the initiative is about more than fellowship and spectacle. “The pilgrimage was not just fun and coming to see the pope, but also to help the poorest of the poor,” he said.
According to Wallner, Pope Leo seemed genuinely delighted with the bike, even joking with BMW’s leadership that he himself enjoyed riding motorcycles. “I think we have the first motorcycling pope,” Wallner quipped.
Around 30 Jesus Bikers rode together into Rome, stopping along the way to celebrate daily Mass in local parishes. Before the papal audience, they processed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica and joined in Mass at the Vatican underscoring their dual identity as both riders and believers.
The club, which welcomes members from different Christian backgrounds, has grown into an international network of more than 100 bikers. One rider, a Protestant from Berlin known by his nickname “Rocky,” said he joined after discovering the group online. “The honesty and freedom attracted me,” he explained. “Here, you don’t have to prove yourself with rituals or tests. You just need baptism, faith in Jesus Christ, and a motorcycle. We want to pray, ride, and do good.”
Claus Dempewolf, who oversees new membership, described the ride to Rome as a blessing. “The weather was perfect, the roads were good,” he said. Asked about the leadership of the club, Dempewolf replied with a smile: “Our president is Jesus Christ, and our road captain is the Holy Spirit.”
This is not the first time the Vatican has seen motorcyclists offering their prized machines for charity. Pope Francis, now Pope Emeritus, was named an honorary member of the Jesus Bikers and received a white motorcycle from them in 2019. Earlier, in 2013, Harley-Davidson riders presented him with two motorcycles and a leather jacket during the company’s 110th anniversary celebration in Rome. One of those Harleys, signed by the pope, later fetched over $350,000 at auction, funding a Rome-based homeless shelter.
With Pope Leo XIV now at the helm, the biker tradition at the Vatican continues, but with a new focus on international child welfare. The Jesus Bikers’ thunderous arrival was more than a spectacle of chrome and leather it was a testament to how faith, fellowship, and motorcycles can combine to fuel hope for the world’s most vulnerable.