No papal rivalry for World Cup final
July 10, 2014
Despite scores of light-hearted media reports that Pope Francis and Pope-emeritus Benedict will have rival interests when Germany meets Argentina in the World Cup soccer final, Vatican insiders have said that the two will not watch the game together.
Pope Francis, an avid soccer fan, "might want to watch the final," said Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office. But a Vatican source told the AFP news agency that Pope-emeritus Benedict would not. "It's really not his thing; he is not a fan," the source said. "He has never been able to watch a football match from beginning to end in his life."
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