ROME — Despite the New Orleans Saints facing a tough season, they continue to receive unexpected support from Pope Francis. Since November 1, coinciding with All Saints Day, the pontiff’s messages have appeared to cheer on the beleaguered football team as it struggles through losses and coaching changes.
Due to an automated feature on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the Saints’ fleur-de-lis emoji automatically attaches itself to the hashtag #Saints. This has created the illusion that the pope, who has a significant following of 18.4 million on X, is referencing the football team when he discusses spiritual saints. In reality, the pope’s statements have focused on the profound value of saints in the religious context, describing them as “precious pearls” who remain significant in the contemporary world.
The combination of these tweets and the hashtag has led to a lively commentary section under the papal posts, with interactions that are noticeably higher than average. Fans and followers alike have begun to join the conversation, with comments reflecting on the team’s struggles. One user humorously remarked, “They need more than what you can do Pope Francis. They need to consult the big guy,” referencing the team’s desperate circumstances after losing again to Carolina, marking their seventh consecutive defeat and leaving them with a dismal record of 2-7.
Saints fans have also reacted to the firing of head coach Dennis Allen, celebrating the move with comments like “Even the Pope is excited we fired Dennis Allen.” Meanwhile, quarterback Derek Carr’s recent record was also a topic of discussion, as he became the first player in NFL history to lose to all 31 other teams, igniting banter among fans. Some even humorously reached out for equal recognition, asking if the Houston Texans could receive a blessing as well.
Rev. Matthew Schneider, a notable figure in the Catholic Twitter community, has been advocating for the Vatican to resolve the emoji issue for several years without success. His first efforts date back to 2019, when he noted the connection between the papal tweets and the Saints, suggesting a review of hashtags before posting. Recently, he reiterated this request, stating, “It was cute the first time but it’s becoming tiresome.”
The pope maintains an official Twitter account, @Pontifex, which has been active since 2012, sharing messages in English and other languages. Despite the humorous mishaps, the Vatican’s spokesperson did not provide any comments on this matter when approached. It’s worth noting that Pope Francis is an avid supporter of San Lorenzo, a soccer team from his hometown of Buenos Aires.
In this season of sports and spirituality, the unexpected overlap of papal messages and NFL woes continues to bring lighthearted moments to Saints fans, even amidst a challenging year for their team.
