Pope Leo Does Not Appear at Rome's Villanova Basketball Doubleheader
Pope Leo did not appear at the Eternal City Tip-Off, a college basketball doubleheader in Rome on Sunday, Nov. 1. No reason was given for his absence, according to Town & Country.
The pope is Robert Prevost from Chicago, who took the name Leo XIV when he was elected. He is the first American-born pope, and he attended Villanova University, a Catholic school outside Philadelphia, as an undergraduate. The games matched Villanova against the University of Notre Dame, another Catholic school with a large basketball following.
Villanova says the event was inspired by his election. The day included a men's game and a women's game at the Palazzo dello Sport, an indoor arena in Rome. Villanova's own release says its teams were the first to play regular-season games in Italy.
The pope did meet with both teams. He told them, "Growing up on the south side of Chicago, we oftentimes heard, 'Go Irish.'" That remark came from Town & Country, which reported it alongside a September comment. On a flight to Paris that month, he had said the crowd would be about 90 percent Villanova fans and 10 percent Notre Dame fans.
The Vatican published his address to a pilgrimage from both universities, delivered in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Aleteia reported that he addressed about 7,000 students, faculty and fans connected to the Rome games. In the address, he spoke about how sport and spirituality can affect wider society.
The pope's schedule has been shaped by recent surgery. In mid-October he had an operation at Gemelli Hospital in Rome to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung. Reuters reported that the procedure removed the lower lobe of his right lung. He left the hospital on Saturday, Oct. 17, and returned to the Vatican.
The Holy See, the Vatican's governing body, said in a statement that no further treatment is necessary. It also said he has gradually resumed his activities, adjusting his daily schedule with his doctors to focus on recovery.
Pope Leo is 71. His next scheduled trip is to South America. He is due to begin a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on Friday, Nov. 6. He was granted Peruvian citizenship in 2015.
