Pope Francis' Football Team Hope for Boost From the Hand of God

Pope Francis, like any self-respecting Argentine, is a big football fan – of San Lorenzo, currently 12th in the Argentine league, where fans are thrilled the new Pope is one of their own.

Published

2 months ago

Categories

Sports

Topics

Pro Sports

People

Jorge Mario Bergoglio

Places

Argentina, Rome, Buenos Aires

Transcript

SCRIPT: Two years ago, this chapel was consecrated by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio – now Pope Francis. For him, it had a special significance – it’s inside the stadium of San Lorenzo football club, where the new Pope is a lifelong fan. The club’s supporters are thrilled - and some are even hoping he can give the team, currently 12th in the Argentine Premier League, a bit of divine help. SOUNDBITE 1, Eduardo, San Lorenzo supporter (Spanish, 14 sec) “As a San Lorenzo fan, and knowing he’s one too, it’s a great joy and we hope he can do everything possible for us, in this world and the other” [In Spanish: Como hincha de San Lorenzo y sabiendo que él también es hincha de San Lorenzo para nosotros es una gran alegría y esperamos que haga todo lo posible para ayudarnos en este y en el otro mundo.] The hand of God may give San Lorenzo a boost on the pitch – and they even hope the extra publicity might help their finances off it. The club is trying to raise the money to build a new stadium, on the site of the original ground where they were founded in 1908 – appropriately, by a priest, Lorenzo Massa. SOUNDBITE 2, Nicolas Portillo, San Lorenzo supporter (Spanish, 14 sec) “In 2 years we might have a new pitch in the Boedo area, that’s what we all want, and if he could come and bless the pitch that would be the best thing that could happen to us. Not many football clubs can say the Pope has blessed their pitch” [In Spanish: En 2 años puede ser que se haga una cancha nueva en el barrio de Boedo, que es lo que todos queremos y si puede venir y bendecir esta cancha sería lo más lindo que nos pudiera pasar. Que el Papa te bendiga la cancha no creo que muchos clubes puedan decir eso.] The team, known as the Saints, play in blue and red – because they’re colours associated with the Virgin Mary. Bergoglio was made a life member of the supporters’ club in 2008 – here, the fans hope he’ll still be cheering them on from Rome. SHOTLIST: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, 14 MARCH 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV SEQUENCE 1: -VAR of chapel at San Lorenzo stadium -plaque commemorating inauguration -VAR inside the chapel -Vatican and Argentine flags inside the chapel SOUNDBITE 1 SEQUENCE 2: -VAR of San Lorenzo club headquarters -club memorabilia -photo of Lorenzo Massa, the priest who founded the club SOUNDBITE 2 SEQUENCE 3: -VAR of stadium from outside -VAR of players training