The New Orleans community is mourning the loss of Pope Francis.
Francis died at the age of 88. The Vatican announced that Francis died on Monday morning, a day after emerging from convalescence to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on Easter.
It was his last public appearance before his death.
Francis recently spent more than a month in the hospital with double pneumonia.
The New Orleans Saints released a brief statement on Pope Francis’s death on Monday.
“Our sincere prayers and thoughts on the passing of Pope Francis,” the Saints said.
Last April, Saints team owner Gayle Benson presented the Pope with a team jersey.
The date of his funeral has not yet been announced.
The conclave to elect a new pope by secret ballot begins in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel between 15 and 20 days after the Pope’s death.
Pope Francis Accidentally Tweeted About The Saints Last Year
It was only right that the New Orleans Saints spoke out after the death of Pope Francis.
The first Latin pope had a connection to the New Orleans Saints through the team’s owner and his accidental mention of the team.
On multiple occasions, Francis used the Saints hashtag, which automatically brings up the teams’ fleur-de-lis logo.
In November 2024, he tweeted, “The #Saints are formed by the Beatitudes: poor, meek, merciful, hungering and thirsting for justice, seeking peace. They are “filled with God” and incapable of remaining indifferent to the needs of their neighbour. They bear witness to paths of light that we too can trod,” the Pope said.
The Saints certainly needed help. They went 2-0 to start the season, only to finish the year 5-12 and dead last in the NFC South.
