Pope Leo meets Villanova and Notre Dame teams at Vatican

Pope Leo met the Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams and their supporters at the Vatican on Saturday, joking about his ties to Villanova while urging the rivals to compete without treating one another as enemies. About 7,000 players, coaches, families and supporters attended the audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. Leo, born Robert Prevost, graduated from Villanova in 1977. He recalled hearing Notre Dame’s “Go Irish” chant while growing up in Chicago, then noted that his former self had a preference even as the pope remained neutral. The gathering came before the men’s and women’s teams from the two Catholic universities were scheduled to play a doubleheader in Rome on Sunday, November 1, as the U.S. college basketball season opener. The games are part of the Eternal City TipOff and are set for Palazzo dello Sport. The reports do not provide game results. In prepared remarks, Leo said that teams in competition are rivals, not enemies. He encouraged players and fans to get to know one another and described sport as a way to foster cooperation, respect and fraternity. His message was that athletic competition can bring people together even when supporters cheer...