Pope adds football shirt to wardrobe

BY FREDDY GRAY
POPE BENEDICT XVI has been given a Brazil football top from a delegation of footballer priests at the Vatican. The shirt is
emblazoned with the Pontiff's name in Italian (Benedetto) and the number 16.
Benedict XVI reportedly received the shirt with a "sincere smile".
Although the Pope has surprised Vatican commentators with his wardrobe — he has donned ermine-trimmed caps as well as Prada shoes and Gucci shades — it has not been suggested that he will sport the top during his trip to Brazil in May. Unlike his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, a talented goalkeeper, Benedict XVI is not a huge fan, although he admitted to watching some of last year's World Cup, staged in his native Germany.
During his visit to Brazil he might receive further footballing gifts from admirers. However, several members of the Brazilian team are keen Protestants, notably the midfield star Kaka, who wore a "Jesus loves you" T-shirt under his strip last year.