Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport published extracts of a broad-ranging interview with Pope Francis on Saturday, in which he reminisced about growing up on the pitch and at the soccer stadium -- and on the basketball court -- and shared some stories that tell of how athletes can make a difference. 

The Pontiff told reporters: 'May the Lord give me the grace to cry'

Cardinal says innocent citizens are caught in a 'vice of conflicting ideologies'

A daily guide to what's happening in the Catholic Church

Holy Father makes moving plea at Holocaust memorial

A daily guide to what's happening in the Catholic Church

Interestingly, its hostility has been encouraged by the ongoing liberal Catholic anti-Vatican campaign

The changes at Yad Vashem show that the black legend against the wartime pontiff is on the way out