Pope Francis passed away this morning at 7:35 AM, as announced with sorrow by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. With his death, the world loses not only the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, but also a passionate advocate of sport — particularly basketball, a lesser-known yet meaningful part of his life.
Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport was among the first to recall this unique relationship. On March 13, 2013 — the day Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope — the Twitter account of Argentine sports club San Lorenzo de Almagro posted a photo of a clergyman holding the club’s iconic red and blue banner. The caption celebrated “the first South American and Argentine Pope,” proudly noting that Bergoglio held membership card No. 88,235.
In the stands of San Lorenzo’s Nuevo Gasómetro stadium, it’s not unusual to find fans wearing masks with Pope Francis’ face — a tribute to a deep, enduring connection between faith and fandom.
But San Lorenzo is more than football. Bergoglio’s father, Mario, once played for the club’s basketball team. And the Pope himself had played basketball in his youth — even if he often said he was better with books than with balls. In football, he was a defender, though he modestly admitted, “I was a pata dura” — an Argentine slang phrase meaning “stiff-legged” or “clumsy.”
Basketball, however, gave Pope Francis not just memories, but also metaphors. In one notable message to a group of priests, he borrowed language from the court to explain spiritual movement and purpose:
“You must know how to pivot — and that pivot is the Cross of Christ. Then, one moves, protecting the ball, hoping to score, and discerning who to pass it to.”
With the passing of Pope Francis, the sports world remembers a man who saw games not just as entertainment, but as expressions of teamwork, sacrifice, and shared hope.
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