Pope Francis Mourns As Maradona Is Buried Today At Jardin De Paz Cemetery

<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>Pope Francis who was elected in 2013 as Latin America’s first pope&comma; mourns late Diego Maradona<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a> <&sol;strong>reports that Pope Francis remembers soccer legend and fellow Argentine Diego Maradona with affection and is keeping him in his prayers&comma; the Vatican said on Wednesday&period; Maradona&comma; who died on Wednesday at his home in Argentina following a heart attack&comma; met the pope several times at the Vatican after Francis was elected in 2013 as Latin America’s first pope&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The pope was informed about the death of Diego Maradona&comma; he recalls the times he met him in these past years with affection&comma; and he is remembering him in his prayers&comma;” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Francis is a lifelong fan of the Buenos Aires San Lorenzo soccer team&period; The official Vatican News website ran a story of Maradona’s death on its front page with a headline calling him &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;soccer’s poet”&period; It called Maradona &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;an extraordinary player but a fragile man&comma;” a reference to his struggle with drugs&period; Maradona travelled to Rome several times to take part in several benefit games called &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Matches for Peace&comma;” whose proceeds went to a papal charity for education in developing countries&period; The proceeds were also for victims of the 2016 earthquake in central Italy&period; Maradona also gave the pope a signed jersey with a dedication that read in Spanish&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;To Pope Francis&comma; with all my affection and &lpar;wishes for&rpar; much peace in the world&period;” Before one match he told Vatican Radio&colon; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I think we all feel something in our hearts when we see wars&comma; when we see the dead&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I think this match will put to rest the notion that we soccer players don’t do anything for peace … a soccer ball is worth more than 100 rifles&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;Meanwhile&comma; the Argentine football legend Diego Maradona will be buried Thursday on the outskirts of Buenos Aires&comma; a spokesman said&period; Maradona&comma; who died of a heart attack Wednesday at the age of 60&comma; will be laid to rest in the Jardin de Paz cemetery&comma; where his parents were also buried&comma; Sebastian<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;