Camille Naredo

Article (news)

Messi x Pope

Agence France-Presse

<p>BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentine football great Lionel Messi thanked Pope Francis Monday for &quot;making the world a better place&quot; as the late pontiff&#x27;s favorite club, San Lorenzo, hailed his decades-long &quot;passion&quot; for the team.</p><p>&quot;RIP Pope Francis,&quot; Messi wrote on Instagram following the death of his fellow countryman -- the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere.</p><p>&quot;Thank you for making the world a better place. We will miss you,&quot; the footballer said in a post with a photo of him with the pope.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/21/pope-francis-beloved-lolo-kiko-to-filipinos-has-passed-away-vatican-1603">READ: Pope Francis, beloved ‘Lolo Kiko’ to Filipinos, has passed away</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/21/pope-francis-death-at-88-prompts-worldwide-mourning-2350">READ: Pope Francis&#x27; death at 88 prompts worldwide mourning</a></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:600px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1745297406762IMG_9769.jpg" style="width:600px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Lionel Messi pays tribute to fellow Argentinian Pope Francis. Instagram/Messi"/><span class="fr-inner">Lionel Messi pays tribute to fellow Argentinian Pope Francis. <em style="text-align:left">Instagram/Messi</em></span></span></span></div><p>San Lorenzo, meanwhile, adorned its home page with a large photo of a smiling pope under the club&#x27;s blue-and-red striped emblem, and the words: &quot;Goodbye forever, Holy Father!&quot;</p><p>&quot;An honorary member of our club, his passion for San Lorenzo always moved us especially, and it unites us in constant prayer for his soul,&quot; the team said in a statement dotted with photos of the pontiff holding, or posing with, San Lorenzo regalia.</p><p>It also paid tribute to Francis as &quot;a thoughtful, open-minded, cultured man completely committed to his convictions and worldview.&quot;</p><p>The pope has followed San Lorenzo -- founded by a priest in 1908 -- since childhood, when he was known as Jorge Bergoglio.</p><p>A card-carrying club member, as archbishop, he celebrated mass in the team chapel in Buenos Aires for several years to mark San Lorenzo&#x27;s anniversary.</p><p>Several jerseys of his beloved San Lorenzo were displayed at the Vatican when he became pope.</p><p>Last year, a delegation led by club president Marcelo Moretti visited Pope Francis and proposed naming the team&#x27;s future stadium after him.</p><p>&quot;Moved, the Holy Father accepted without hesitation,&quot; the club said. Construction is to begin this year.</p><p>Once asked to pick between Argentine greats Messi and Maradona as the greatest player ever, the pope opted for a third option: Brazilian star Pele, who he described as &quot;a man of heart.&quot;</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Argentine football great Lionel Messi thanked Pope Francis Monday for "making the world a better place" as the late pontiff's favorite club, San Lorenzo, hailed his decades-long "passion" for the team.</p>

Argentine football great Lionel Messi thanked Pope Francis Monday for "making the world a better place" as the late pontiff's favorite club, San Lorenzo, hailed his decades-long "passion" for the team.

Messi, San Lorenzo bid farewell to football fan Pope Francis

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Messi, San Lorenzo bid farewell to football fan Pope Francis

Agence France-Presse

Published April 22, 2025 12:51 PM PHT

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abssports

football

Pope Francis

Lionel Messi

San Lorenzo

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Pope Francis death

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