Death of Pope Françis: message from T. Bach (IOC), games postponed in Italy & mourning in Argentina

"With the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, we are losing a great friend and supporter of the Olympic Movement. His support for the peace and solidarity mission of the Olympic Games and the refugee initiatives of the IOC has been unwavering," said Thomas Bach (GER), president of the International Olympic Committee, on 21/04/2025, following the announcement, on the same day, of the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.

"I got to know His Holiness as a very pensive intellectual who was humble and had a very good sense of humour. His deep passion for sport and the Olympic values was always obvious," added Thomas Bach, who will preside over the IOC until 23/06/2025, when he will be succeeded by Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), who was elected on 20/03/2025.

Following the news of Pope Francis' death, the Lega Serie A immediately decided to postpone the four 2024-25 Serie A Enilive matches scheduled for Easter Monday. They will now be played on Wednesday 23/04/2025 (see below).

The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has paid tribute to Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio (who became Pope…