This handout photo taken on August 18, 2021 and released by the Vatican press office, Vatican Media shows Pope Francis playing football table on the sidelines of his weekly audience at The Vatican. (Photo by Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)
Avid football fan Pope Francis given foosball table in Tuscany
San Lorenzo supporter, Pope Francis, was presented with a foosball table by a Tuscany-based club after an address in the Italian city.
This handout photo taken on August 18, 2021 and released by the Vatican press office, Vatican Media shows Pope Francis playing football table on the sidelines of his weekly audience at The Vatican. (Photo by Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)
Pope Francis – an avid football fan – has been given plenty of jerseys and match balls during his eight-year reign. On Wednesday, 18 August, however, he was gifted something a little different – his own foosball table by representatives of the tabletop sport in Italy.
POPE FRANCIS GIVEN FOOSBALL TABLE
According to an Associated Press report, Sport Toscana Calcio Balila – a Tuscany-based table football club – presented Pope Francis with his own foosball table after he gave his general audience in the Altopascio commune on Wednesday.
The pope even played a round on the table, which Altopascio mayor, Sara D’Ambrosio, said was designed to be used by people with physical disabilities in order to foster their interest and participation in the sport.
According to AP, Pope Francis’ love for the game of football is well-known. The argentine-born pope supports the Buenos Aires football team, San Lorenzo, and has said that sport is a way to promote solidarity and inclusion, especially among young people.
VACCINATION IS AN ACT OF LOVE
On Wednesday, the pope also pledged his support for vaccination against COVID-19 and joined a campaign to boost confidence in the jabs, according to AFP.
“Being vaccinated is an act of love,” said the head of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. “Thanks to God and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19.” He spread the pro-vaccine message for the United States-based “It’s Up to You” initiative.
Pope Francis said that contributing to the vaccination of the majority of people is an act of love “for oneself, love for one’s family and friends, love for all people.”
Additional reporting by AFP.
