Brendan Rodgers Recalls Humbling Audience with Late Pope Francis During Celtic’s 2023 Vatican Visit
Brendan Rodgers led his Celtic squad to a memorable private meeting with Pope Francis in 2023, following their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Lazio. The pontiff, who passed away at the age of 88 on Monday, shared a heartfelt message with the Scottish champions during the audience at the Vatican.
Rodgers later lightheartedly remarked that Pope Francis’ comment — “winning or losing doesn’t matter” — might not resonate with passionate football fans in Glasgow. “I’m not sure that transcends to Glasgow,” he joked, before acknowledging the deeper meaning behind the sentiment. “The spirit of what he was saying was absolutely right. It’s about playing with joy and spirit, always striving to improve.”
Pope Francis, who served as head of the Catholic Church and Vatican City for more than 12 years, hosted the Celtic delegation in what Rodgers described as a “lifetime ambition” fulfilled. The Celtic manager presented the pontiff with a signed, personalized club jersey as a token of appreciation.
“When Michael Nicholson mentioned the opportunity a few weeks before the trip, we were all excited,” Rodgers said. “To be there was truly humbling and an incredible honour. It’s one of life’s great achievements.”
During the encounter, the Pope also delivered a message about humility, encouraging players to maintain a mindset of always striving, saying, “To be No. 1, think that you are No. 2.” Rodgers praised the wisdom of his words, noting they applied far beyond football.
Before his passing, Pope Francis had battled a serious lung infection, which developed into double pneumonia. Though he made two public appearances after being discharged from hospital, his final one came on Easter Sunday, just a day before his death, as he delivered a blessing to thousands in St. Peter’s Square.
Pope Francis made history in 2013 as the first pope from South America, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to hail from the Southern Hemisphere. He was also the first pontiff born outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian Pope Gregory III.
