Pope Francis’ private message to Brendan Rodgers that ‘didn’t transcend’ to Celtic fans
Fasika Zelealem
3 – 4 minutes
Brendan Rodgers led his Celtic side to a private audience with the Pope in 2023 as the supreme pontiff – who passed away aged 88 on Monday – offered up a private message
Pope Francis meets with Brendan Rogers, the manager of the Celtic Football Club and is presented with a Celtic shirt during the Celtic club members stay in Rome following the UEFA Champions League match with Lazio
Brendan Rodgers led his Celtic side to a private meeting with Pope Francis (Image: Getty Images)
Brendan Rodgers once joked that Pope Francis’ declaration to his Celtic team that ‘winning or losing doesn’t matter’ wouldn’t go down well in Glasgow.
The 88-year-old – who died on Monday – served as the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State for over 12 years before his death.
During his time as the figurehead for the Church, he had arrange an audience with the Scottish giants at the Vatican after their 2-0 Champions League loss to Lazio in December 2023. Describing it as the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition, Rodgers presented the pontiff with a personalised Celtic kit signed by the playing squad.
READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers eyes Celtic history as relentless boss declares ‘nobody is more motivated than me’
READ MORE: Daizen Maeda leads Celtic slaughter job on St Johnstone and puts Rodgers on brink of another Treble – 5 talking points
The ex-Liverpool boss said of the experience: “When Michael Nicholson mentioned it a few weeks prior to going, it was something that we were all looking forward to. It’s an achievement in life, it was incredible to be there – really humbling.. I was very honoured and it was a privilege.”
It was during the meeting that the Pope told his guests that winning or losing “doesn’t matter,” which led to Rodgers joking that the sentiment may not be recognised well in Scotland’s biggest city.
“I’m not sure that transcends to Glasgow,” Rodgers jibed before adding: “But no, the spirit of what he was saying was very true. It’s what you say to players, have that spirit.
“To be No. 1, think that you are No. 2 so that you are always pushing. The message, in terms of playing as an amateur, is to play with spirit and joy of the game.
Pope Francis meets with members of the Celtic Football Club during the Celtic club members stay in Rome following the UEFA Champions League match with Lazio
Celtic were invited to a private audience with the Pope in 2023 (Image: Getty Images)
“His words were very good. The words ring true for life, not just football. All of us who were there and got to understand the meaning of what he was saying, you can only learn from it.”
Prior to his death, Francis had been hospitalised for weeks due to a complex lung infection, with his respiratory crisis developing into double pneumonia.
After leaving the hospital, he made two public appearances, with his last coming on Easter Sunday – a day before his passing – as he blessed thousands of people in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
When succeeding Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, Francis created history as the first pope from the Society of Jesus and the first from South America.
He was also the first Pontiff to hail from the Southern Hemisphere and the first born or raised outside Europe since Gregory III – the Syrian pope who reigned in the 8th-century.
