Son of an Italian emigrant fascism, Pope Francis – fallen on Monday, April 21, at 88 – was born in the Flores neighborhood of the city of Buenos Aires, but From an early age he became a follower of a team that belonged to another district, specifically that of Boedo, very close to his birthplace.
The Pope was always considered SAN LORENZO DE ALMAGROr, club founded in 1908 precisely by a priest.
It was a Salesian named Lorenzo Massa who was responsible for grouping the children who played in the streets of the neighborhood. He gathered them to invite them to play at the San Antonio Oratory in exchange for going to Mass every Sunday.
Although several names were considered in the first days of the club ('The forced Almagro', 'Sentinela de Quito' or 'La Almagreño'), finally the club was called San Lorenzo de Almagro Athletic Club, in honor of Lorenzo Massa, despite the fact that the priest did not want to receive such honor.
Vatican City, 04/21/2025.- Archive image taken on Pope Francis 20/2025 while greeting the attendees after the Urbi et Orbi blessing in the Plaza de San Pedro Vaticano. Pope Francis died Monday at 7.35 (5.35 GMT) at his residence in the Santa Marta house, the Camarlengo, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrel announced in a video message. EFE/ ANGELO CARCONI / Angelo Carconi / Efe
The 'Cuervos'
Therefore, The club is called since then 'Los Cuervos', for the long black cassock that Massa wore. He resembled a crow, according to the stories of the time, and there was born the nickname of the club.
San Lorenzo de Almagro is considered one of the greats of Argentine and South American football. He was champion of the Copa Libertadores in 2014, a year after Bergoglio was chosen Popeand shortly after winning the title, a representation of the club traveled to Rome to offer it to the Pope.
Pope Francis was partner 88,235 of the club.
“For me, San Lorenzo is the team of which the whole family was a fan: my dad played basketball in San Lorenzo. And we were going, Mom also came with us, to the gasometer”Said the Pope.
“I remember the 1946 season, and the team so brilliant that San Lorenzo had; we left champions …”he added.
A fight for many years
Its stadium, Pedro Bidegain, known as the new gasometer, is one of the largest in Argentina. To his previous stadium, the gasometer, he was known as the 'Argentine Wembley'.
The club fans fought for many years to recover the plot in which the Gasometer stadium had risen.
The San Lorenzo de Almagro Athletic Club has lost its most illustrious follower, with the permission of another great club fan, actor Viggo Mortensen, who hooked the Boedo club during the years he lived in Argentina.
