New pope a follower of the football faith!

Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was elected the new Pope Francis 1 Wednesday, is an avid fan and “member” of the San Lorenzo de Almagro soccer team, one of the five most popular teams in his country.

In 2008, on the 100th anniversary of the club, team managers gave the then future pope, Cardinal Bergoglio, a membership card as San Lorenzo’s “centennial member” and invited him to say mass to celebrate the club’s anniversary.

The soccer club’s web site posted a note on Wednesday headlined “Raven pope,” in reference to the nickname of the team’s fans (called ravens), along with a photograph of Bergoglio wearing San Lorenzo’s jersey.

The Pope’s soccer team, San Lorenzo, was founded April 1, 1908, in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Almagro. Later, the club moved to the Boedo neighbourhood and then to Bajo Flores neighbourhood in southern Buenos Aires.

San Lorenzo de Almagro has won 10 national tournaments and two regional ones, the Mercosur Cup in 2001 and the South American Cup in 2002.