Pope Benedict XVI: Reflecting on Former Head of Catholic Church Ties to Sports

• Pope Benedict XVI had strong ties to sports, football in particular, before and during his papacy
• The former head of the Catholic church met with sports athletes during his eight-year reign
• He became the first Pope to resign since 1415 due to health complications paving way for Pope Francis

The former Head of the Catholic Church Pope Benedict XVI has passed on. The Vatican has announced the Pope passed on at his residence at Mater Ecclesiae monastery after a long battle with illness.

His successor Pope Francis recently beseeched the faithful to pray for him after his health deteriorated. Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013 due to health complications.

Born in Germany as Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI was believed to be an avid fan of Bayern Munich, arguably the biggest club in the country and six-time Champions League winners.

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Football

Having resigned in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI had the chance to watch the 2014 World Cup final with his successor who hails from Argentina.

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It was the first time in over 600 years that two Popes were alive. The two did not watch the game together but Pope Benedict XVI's side won courtesy of a Mario Gotze strike late on.

As the Atlantic reports, Pope Benedict XVI believed that football could be used as a strong tool to teach life's ethical and spiritual values.

While serving as the Archbishop of Munich-Freising in 1978, Pope Benedict XVI granted an interview on a Bavarian radio where he outlined his beliefs on how football is a global unifier. The interview was done on June 1 just before the 1978 World Cup started. It was held in Argentina with the hosts beating the Netherlands in the final.

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Football

The Sports Journal reports that the then Archbishop appreciated the fact that football could be used as a bridge to bring peace and unite diverse nations and races of the earth.

The report further states that during his papacy, he met with the Austrian national ski team in 2007 and the participants of the World Swimming Championships in 2009.