The death of Pope Francis at the age of 88 on Monday has put Italy's beloved sport on a brief hiatus. Serie A games on on Monday were postponed to Wednesday, but Coppa Italia games will go on as regularly scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday as the rest of the world mourns the life of Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and an avid fan of the sport as a card-carrying member of Argentine football club San Lorenzo.
"Following the passing of His Holiness, Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A can confirm that today's league games in Serie A and Primavera 1 have been postponed," the Italian league said in a statement.
For more news on the pope, CBS News has you covered with the latest news and updates.
Monday's soccer games postponed in Italy
Serie A: (Games rescheduled to Wednesday)
- Torino vs. Udinese
- Cagliari vs. Fiorentina
- Genoa vs. Lazio
- Parma vs. Juventus
Serie B:
- Sudtirol vs. Bari
- Brescia vs. Reggiana
- Cittadella vs. Salernitana
- Juve Stabia vs. Sampdoria
- Mantova vs. Catanzaro
- Palermo vs. Carrarese
- Sassuolo vs. Frosinone
- Spezia vs. Cosenza
- Modena vs. Cesena
- Pisa vs. Cremonese
Serie C:
- Arezzo vs. Lucchese
- Gubbio vs. Milan Futuro
- Campobasso vs. Perugia
- Legnago Salus vs. Pescara
- Pineto vs. Entella
- Pontedera vs. Rimini
- Sestri Levante vs. Ascoli
- Ternana vs. Pianese
- Torres vs. Carpi
- Vis Pesaro vs. Spal
Campionato Primavera (U-20 level):
- Roma U-20 vs. Udinese U-20
- Monza U-20 vs. Sassuolo U-20
- Sampdoria U-20 vs. Torino U-20
Wednesday's soccer games in Italy
- Parma vs. Juventus, 12:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+)**
- Cagliari vs. Fiorentina, 12:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+)**
- Torino vs. Udinese, 12:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+)**
- Genoa vs. Lazio, 12:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+)**
- Coppa Italia: Inter vs. Milan, 3 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
**- Rescheduled from Monday
Thursday's soccer games in Italy
- Coppa Italia: Bologna vs. Empoli, 3 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
How Italy previously dealt with the death of a pope
As millions of people worldwide make their way to the Vatican to mourn the death of a pope and anticipate the announcement of a new pope, the world of soccer will be affected in different ways. While Italy is tightly connected to the Catholic Church and the figure of the pope, his death presents a practical concern as a matter of public security. A wide array of domestic Italian organizations have been impacted in the past, so it's worth examining how the country and the sport was impacted in past instances.
In April 2005, when Pope John Paul II died after being in charge of the Vatican Church since 1978, the Italian FA immediately announced that the games that weekend were all postponed. "It was the only decision to be taken," former Italian Olympic Committee president Gianni Petrucci said regarding his call to postpone games at the time. Although the league had paused, four days after his death, rivals Milan and Inter squared off in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal round at San Siro.
However, when Pope Benedict XVI died on Dec. 31, 2022, Serie A was in the midst of a winter break. The league was already on pause from Dec. 23 to Jan. 4 during the 2022-23 season. It was unique circumstances as Joseph Ratzinger stepped down in 2013 before the conclave that elected Pope Francis for personal reasons, becoming the first pope to step down from his duties since Pope Gregory XII in 1415, and thus was not the active pope at the time of his death.
The conclave: What's next?
Traditionally, there are nine days of mourning when the pope dies, then the funeral takes place at the St. Peter Basilica before the start of a new conclave that will elect the new bishop of Rome. This is a particular eventful year as well, as the church is celebrating the Catholic Jubilee, the first since 2000, further heightening the security and logistical burden on the Italian government and Rome's metropolitan government. It's possible that other games may get postponed, especially in Rome involving Roma or Lazio. Keep an eye on the Coppa Italia final that takes place on May 14 at the Stadio Olimpico as the conclave is expected to start two weeks after the passing of the former pope.
