Pope Francis receives a Paris Saint Germain jersey signed by Argentine Lionel Messi as a gift from French Prime Minister Jean Castex during a private audience at the Vatican, October 18, 2021 in this screengrab taken from a video. REUTERS TV/Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, a keen football fan, received an unusual gift on Monday from France’s prime minister – a jersey signed by the pontiff’s fellow Argentine Lionel Messi.
Jean Castex gave the pope the glass-framed number 30 jersey, signed by Messi, who plays for Paris St Germain, following 35 minutes of private talks at the Vatican.
Francis, 84, has met Messi, 34, and once called him one of the greatest football players of all time. Francis is a lifelong fan of the Buenos Aires San Lorenzo football team.
The French premier also gave the pope a more traditional gift – an 1836 edition of “Notre Dame de Paris”, Victor Hugo’s classic novel about the hunchbacked bell ringer Quasimodo set in Paris in 1482.
Castex was visiting the Vatican and Rome for celebrations marking the centenary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between France and the Holy See.
After meeting the pope, Castex toured the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.