The late Pope Francis laughed at a football fan when she revealed she supported Manchester United. The Pope, who was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away at the age of 88 years old on Easter Monday after a battle with pneumonia.
Various stories and anecdotes about the Argentine have been shared since his emotional passing. He was hailed for his “common touch” and easy connection with people, as can be seen in a memorable personal exchange where the late pontiff laughed heartily at a football joke.
As a tribute to the devout football enthusiast, all Serie A matches in Italy were suspended. Vatican officials confirmed his death, reflecting the impact of a man widely admired beyond religious circles.
Professor Anna Rowlands, during her two-year secondment to the Vatican throughout his papacy, shared how she elicited a roaring laugh from the religious leader by revealing she was a United fan. The Durham University professor of Catholic social thought and practice recounted that Pope Francis immediately sought to establish a rapport based on their common love for football.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Professor Rowlands said: “He wanted to know what football team I supported, and I said that I was from Manchester.
“So I was a genuine, bona fide Mancunian, Manchester United fan by origin. He just sort of roared laughing and turned to his aide and said, ‘you see, she must have a sense of humour’.
“And that was the first extended conversation I’d ever had with him. So his nature was to tease you slightly and to be good-humoured, and find a point of human connection with you.”
She described how the Pope, though he held significant authority, possessed a “common touch” and impressed many with his “charismatic, warm, personable” nature.
She also said his appeal wasn’t confined to the ecclesiastical realm because of his “moral leadership” on various issues, from supporting refugees to addressing climate change.
As a dedicated fan of Buenos Aires’ San Lorenzo football team, Pope Francis once celebrated their victory in the Torneo Inicial championship. His affection for the team was publicly showcased when he brandished a copy of the trophy at St Peter’s Basilica and received a jersey with “Francisco Campeon” (Francis Champion) on it.
Growing up, Pope Francis not only supported San Lorenzo but also played basketball, frequently discussing the moral and spiritual virtues of playing team sports. The Pope once drew an analogy between rugby and life, advising Italian and Argentine rugby squads that “rugby is like life because we are all heading for a goal, we need to run together and pass the ball from hand to hand until we get to it”.
However, he has also cautioned that prioritising profits and victory at any cost could lead to athletes being viewed as commodities. At the time, he said: “When sport is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost, it risks reducing athletes to mere trading material from whom profits are extracted. Sport is harmony, but if money and success prevail as the aim, this harmony crumbles.”
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