SPORTY POPE FRANCIS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 18 Jan 2015
Pope Francis is now visiting the Philippines from January 15-19, 2015 and his coming created great enthusiasm and interest among his flock in the Roman Catholic church and even a great majority of non-Catholics.
We attended his Holy Mass yesterday at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport joining 300,000 pilgrims from all over the Philippines and a great number of Typhoon Yolanda survivors. We braved the rains and winds brought by Typhoon Amang and spent a sleepless night staying at our place in the airport as early as 12:00 midnight. Our coldness and tiredness were gone when Pope Francis arrived at about 8:45 A.M. and we were chanting "Viva Il Papa...Papa Francesco!"
We were so touched by his homily.
He told the faithful that "so many of you in Tacloban have lost everything. I don't know what to say - but the Lord does? He underwent so many of the trials that you do."
The Pope did not show signs of fatigue with his very hectic schedule even at the age of 78. He loves sports and he was a sporty pope. He has a special interest in sports. According to catholicnews. com when he was young, he played basketball and danced the tango, which he said he loves "very much. It's something that comes from within."
Pope Francis' father was a basketball player. When the pope visited the Philippines he probably understood the Filipinos' love for basketball. He was influenced by his father, who played basketball for San Lorenzo, and the Pope also played the sport with friends as a young teen.
Since his papacy, the pope has received signed jerseys from different teams.
Coming from the Argentina, homeland of football star Lionel Messi, the pope is a huge supporter of the local club San Lorenzo. It was reported that he has cheered for the team as a young boy, and is actually a card-carrying fan who still pays his dues on time up to this day.
James Pallotta, president of the Italian soccer club A.S. Roma, which played with Lazio in the Coppa Italia final visited St. Peter's Square during Pope Francis' daily general audience as part of a peace initiative, presented "Papa Francesco" with jerseys from each side, while Serie A President Maurizio Beretta gave the soccer-loving Argentine Pope a football and a small replica of the Italian Cup, reported Yahoo Sports.
Pallotta, a Boston-born businessman is also part of the ownership group that runs the Boston Celtics, so he also gave the Pontiff a home-white Celtics jersey ? with "THE POPE" on the backabove the No. 1.
The Holy Father called on players to ?live your sport as a gift from God, an opportunity not only to improve your talents, but also a responsibility?. And he returned to the idea that athletes should act as role models, encouraging them to set an example of loyalty, respect, and selflessness.
He concluded by praying that the athletes will continue to be able to pursue the ?noble vocation? of sport and he asked them to pray for him, too, ?that in the playing field that the Lord has placed me, I can play the game honestly and courageously, for the good of all."
Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon gave the pope a ball signed by all the Italian players.
Pope Francis also welcomed Argentine football star Carlos Tevez to the Vatican and discussed poverty in Buenos Aires. Part of their discussions focused on the under-privileged Fuerte Apache area of the city, where Tevez was raised.
Tevez brought his family with him to the Vatican and presented the Pope with a Juventus shirt, the Italian club he currently plays for.
After his meeting with the Pope, Tevez, who previously played for Manchester United and Manchester City, wrote on Twitter: ?Thank you Holy Father for welcoming my family. I?m proud that you?re Argentine, and above all that you?re so humble.?
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian parents and is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. He worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before entering the seminary.
He was ordained to priesthood in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and three years later a cardinal in 2001.
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in February 2013, he was elected by the papal conclave on March 13, 2013 Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and after 1272 years, the first non-European Pope since Pope Gregory III. He used the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who was born from a wealthy family but chose to become poor.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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