Papa Francisco loved football and believed that the game could unite
AdvertisementPope Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, believed that he had an extraordinary ability to unite people. “Football is a team game, you can’t have fun alone,” he told a large number of young people, footballers and Italian trainers in the Vatican in 2019.
“If you live this way, you can have a good impact on the mind and heart in a community that is annoying by subjectiveism.”
Like most Argentina children, young George Mario Berkoglio grew up with football. In his Floreus neighborhood in Buenus Aires, he played for hours with friends in the so -called “Portroz” or in dusty fields.
According to his own assessment, it is not very good. In his autobiography, Francis recalled that his skills were very weak, and they named him a “hard leg.”
Like many members of his family, he became a fan of San Lorenzo founded by Father Lorenzo Massa in 1908. Due to the founder Black Kesak, his supporters are called “crows”. As a child, George was impressed by the colorful sports style of the team that won the local title in 1946. Until he died, he recalled the whole team.
San Lorenzo won the first Libertador’s Cup, which was the most important club in South America in 2014 – a year later he became a papa. The club management and a group players took the trophy to the Vatican. Later, the administration of the club decided to name the future stadium in memory of Pope Francis, he paid his shares to the Foreign Number 88 235.
The best in all the time?
In 2023, Francisco intervened in the debate of who was the best footballer at all times. Francis unexpectedly responded to the selection of the winners of the world championship of different generations, Diego Maradona and Leonel Messi.
“I will add one -third.” – He said. “Skin.
The Pope Brazilian champion met with a devotee Catholic and three -time champion in the world before choosing the pope. He then met Messi and Maradona in the Vatican as a pope. “Maradona was fantastic as a footballer, but a man failed,” Francisco said about the 1986 World Championship winner, he died in 2020 at the age of 60, fighting cocaine and health problems. Maradona worshiped by people who did not help him, Pope said.
The Pope described the 2022 World Championships Cup “very perfect” and a man who raised Messi. “But, for me, the big man, of the three,” the Pope said.
In a message read when he died in 2022, he paid tribute to Pelly in Rio de Janeiro, Francis said, “The many virtues, perseverance, stability and moderates needed for the game are part of Christianity.
World Championship Final
Despite being a big football fan, Francisco hasn’t seen any games on television. He said he avoided watching television because of the promise of our Lady of Carm in 1990. The radio became a way of renewing and listening to football games until he went to Rome. Once in the Vatican, members of the Swiss police were watching their safety, informed him about the results of the game between San Lorenzo and Argentina.
This is how Argentina won its third title at the Football Championships in Qatar after a consecutive fines against France.
Although he is excited about the game, he resists fanaticism and violence, and it sometimes tenses him. The player insisted on high -level players to show humility and always remember their roots.
In his 2019 speech, “Don’t forget where they came from. Those fields, that place of prayer, that little club,” he said.
Advertisement“I believe you can always feel thankful for your story with sacrifices, victories and wars,” Francis said. “Be great in life. This is a success for all of us.”
Andhra journalist Morrisio Savarez contributed to this Sawo Palo report.
