It's no secret that Pope Francis is a soccer fan. And as an Argentinean, it is normal that soccer is his favorite sport.
POPE FRANCIS
Soccer is a team game and this is good for everyone. Many define soccer as the most beautiful game in the world—I think so too.
For this reason, after his General Audience, the Pope greeted this special team and even signed their pennant and soccer ball.
The players of this team are migrants and refugees. They traveled through the night to be in Rome with the Pope, who encouraged them to continue in this sport.
ANTONIO PALMA
Chairman, “Riscita Refugees” team
Most of them are Muslims, but the Pope is always very close to them. They have great respect for the figure of the Pope, because they consider him an important person, who works for peace and, above all, for the integration and social inclusion of these young people, who flee their homelands for various reasons: for nature, for religious problems, for political problems. And so they come to Europe, to Italy, with the desire to have a better future.
Hours before meeting with Pope Francis, the players participated in a friendly match with the so-called “Pope's Team.” In that match, as the president of the team said, what mattered least was the final score.
CA
TR: AT
