It appears that the New Orleans Saints are inadvertently receiving spiritually-oriented help from Pope Francis.
The Pope accidentally posted on social media about religious matters and added the hashtag #Saints – the official hashtag for the National Football League team, which automatically adds the team logo of a fleur-de-lis on X.
Among several messages, he posted on November 5: “The #Saints⚜️ are precious pearls and always alive and relevant, because they provide a fascinating commentary on the Gospel. Their lives are an illustration of the Good News that Jesus brought to humanity.”
The team reposted the message thanking Pope Francis for his prayers, adding: “We need them.”
We cannot become it #Saints with a frown. We must have a joyful heart that remains open to hope.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 7, 2024
And on November 7, the Pope wrote: “We cannot become that #Saints⚜️with a frown. We must have a joyful heart that remains open to hope.” To this end the team reposted“Amen #Saints.”
The Saints are off to a slow start to the season, sitting in fourth and last place in the NFC South. A significant number of injuries have occurred among the wide receivers and offensive line, and last week head coach Dennis Allen was fired. But there are signs that the pope’s prayers could be working: On Sunday the Saints won for the first time since September and held on for a narrow victory over the Atlanta Falcons.