Pope Leo tried to stay neutral as basketball rivals visited the Vatican

In the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Leo received college basketball teams. Leo, the first American pope, greeted the men's and women's teams of Villanova, from which he graduated in 1977. Notre Dame's teams were also present at the same ceremony. Around 7,000 players, guests and fans attended the gathering.

Villanova's team name is the Wildcats, and its home is in Pennsylvania. Notre Dame's teams are known as the Fighting Irish and are based in Indiana. Notre Dame has a strong fan base in some neighborhoods of Chicago. The South Side of Chicago, where the Pope also grew up, is one of those neighborhoods.

Leo touched on this connection in his speech. "When I was growing up on Chicago's South Side, we often heard people shout 'Go Irish,'" he said. He then reminded the audience that Prevost was a Villanova graduate, saying "The Pope does not take sides," and continued speaking amid laughter in the hall.

Speaking in a more serious tone, the Pope said it is natural for fans to cheer passionately for their own teams. However, he reminded them that rival teams are "certainly not enemies." On Sunday, the two teams will face each other at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome. The challenge for Notre Dame is clear: it must beat a team whose most famous alumnus has a direct connection to heaven. Villanova, meanwhile, may have found perhaps the best sixth man in the game.