Pope Leo Meets Napoli After Serie A Title Win

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday had an audience with the team and staff of Napoli football club after they won the fourth Serie A title of their history on Friday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the American pontiff hailed Napoli as an “example of a team-in the broad sense-that works together, with individual talents put at the service of the whole.” He then commented on the educational role of sport, emphasizing its importance. “Unfortunately, when sport becomes a business, it risks losing the values that make it educational, and it can even become harmful from that point of view,” he said.

Leo highlighted the significance of sport in the lives of teenagers, urging parents and coaches to “pay close attention to the moral quality of the sporting experience.” He remarked on the impact this has on the human development of young people. Pope Leo also lightened the mood by joking about press reports suggesting he is a Roma fan, saying, “What you read in the press isn’t always true.”

During the meeting, he shared the congratulations of one of his cooks, Rosa, a Neapolitan woman and avid Napoli fan. Napoli Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis presented the pope with a team shirt signed by the players, featuring the number 10 and “Papa Leone XIV” written on the back.