‘We need them’: NFL’s Saints grateful for inadvertent prayers from Pope Francis

The New Orleans Saints, with just two wins and seven losses in the season so far, appear to be getting some inadvertent spiritually-directed help from Pope Francis.

The pontiff has been accidentally posting on social media about religious matters and adding the hashtag #Saints – the official hashtag for the National Football League team, which on X automatically adds the team’s logo of a fleur-de-lis.

Among various messages, on 5 November he posted, “The #Saints⚜️ are precious pearls and are always living and relevant, because they provide a fascinating commentary on the Gospel. Their lives are an illustration of the Good News that Jesus brought to humanity.”

The team reposted the message and thanked Pope Francis for his prayers, adding: “We need them.”.

And on 7 November the pope wrote, “We cannot become #Saints⚜️ with a frown. We must have joyful hearts that remain open to hope.” To that, the team reposted, “Amen #Saints.”

The Saints are having a slow start to the season. They haven’t won since 15 September and currently sit in fourth place in the NFC South conference. A significant number of injuries have struck among wide receivers and the offensive line, and last week head coach Dennis Allen was fired.