Pope Francis died on Monday morning, on the second day of Easter, at 7.35 local time (no – an hour later in Bucharest), at the age of 88, and left, among others, the image of a great sports lover.
A moment for history: “The hand of God”, visiting the Pope
“I have a land where you can play: I offer it! But you, on the other hand, come to the Liturgy“.
“You are part of my cultural heritage“, Once said the Sovereign Pontiff, referring to this lesser-known group in Europe, say, Boca Juniors or River Plate.
The team wears blue and red, the colors that painted the vestments of the Virgin Mary, and the nickname of the fans, Cervos, seems to derive from the waving of the equipment. While another famous fan, Osvaldo Soriano, defined his passion for San Lorenzo as “a weight you carry all your life“A cross, some would say.
Membership card with number 88.235
Bergoglio has never hidden his passion for this club and, in any case, would not have been possible to hide this love. On the day of his choice as Pope, March 13, 2013, the Twitter account of the San Lorenzo club published a photo with a prelate holding the blue and red fan.
Legend has honored “first South American and Argentine pope”, The supporter who has the number of member 88.235. In the Nuevo Gasómetro sector of the Stadium in San Lorenzo, supporters painted on the face with the face of Francesc. Putted between Messi and Maradona, the Pope stopped at a Brazilian: Pelé.
San Lorenzo also marks the connection between Francis and other sports: his father, Mario, had been a basketball player at the same sports club, and Bergoglio also played basketball, although he liked football and evolved as a defender. Had to face his own limits (“I was a hard to break walnut“He said, but he had the power to joke:”I had a stingy leg“).
The 1990 oath
At the Vatican, the Pope received Leo Messi in the audience, which, however, does not seem to see him playing, although he brought Argentina the world title. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, told in 2015, in an interview for “Voz del Pueblo“, That in July 1990 he took an oath that then prevented him from seeing Messi playing football, says the Italian press. On July 8, 1990, Germany defeated Argentina in the final of the World Cup in Italy.
Despite his great passions for the ball, for San Lorenzo and Argentina, the Pope took 35 years ago the commitment to never watch TV, taking the information exclusively from the radio and newspapers.
Loved the basketball and
Pope met many champions. One was the great Diego Maradona, who was asked what is the hand of God, alluding to the famous goal scored in the door of England. He also had a message for the NBA players, who asked them to fight with racism, reaching it to Italian volleyball players. Another Argentine, Julio Velasco, said of him: “Is someone who understood that if not reaches the poor, the Catholic Church, at least in Latin America, will lose their believers”.
The pontiff, years ago, chose a basketball expression to communicate with the priests: “To know how to act as a pivot and that pivot is the cross of Christ. Then they move, protecting the ball, hoping to succeed a basket”.
About tennis, the pope said it is “a dialog that allows us to improve ourselves“. It also characterized rugby as a discipline in which” SIt’s passing the ball from hand to hand and we advance together, until we reach the target”.
