Pope Leo XIV gets Fluminense shirt, recalls John Paul II ties | OneFootball

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, was received this Wednesday (12) by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. During the meeting, Paes presented the pontiff with the symbolic “keys” to the city and an official Fluminense jersey, delivered on behalf of the president of the Rio City Council, Carlo Caiado.

The gesture revived a special memory for Fluminense fans. In 1980, Pope John Paul II visited Brazil and was given a Fluminense jersey as a gift. From that meeting on, the chant “A bênção, João de Deus” (“Blessing, John of God”) began to echo through the stands of Maracanã Stadium in moments of desperation or gratitude. Years later, in 2010, John of God was declared the patron saint of Fluminense.

More than four decades later, Fluminense is once again remembered in a symbolic and spiritual moment, now in the heart of the Vatican, with its jersey being presented to Pope Leo XIV.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.