Pope Leo comments on sports rivalries
The gist
Pope Leo XIV met Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams at the Vatican ahead of their Rome opener.
He told the rivals he takes no sides, though his Villanova degree complicates it.
How it unfolded
- Oct 13, 2026The 71-year-old pope underwent lung cancer surgery and is still recovering.
- Oct 31, 2026Pope Leo XIV met the Villanova and Notre Dame men's and women's basketball teams, coaches, fans and families at the Vatican audience hall, with about 7,000 people present.
- Nov 1, 2026Villanova and Notre Dame were to play a doubleheader at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport, about a half-hour drive from the Vatican, on All Saints' Day.