Pope Francis I: A Lionel Messi halo effect?
03/14/2013
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I read in Grantland yesterday:

There was even a rumor making the rounds Tuesday afternoon that the cardinals in Rome trying to elect a pope conveniently called it a day a half-hour before the Barcelona-Milan game so they could catch the broadcast. 

Barcelona's great Italian-Argentine leader Lionel Messi broke out of a minor slump to score two goals to lead Barcelona to a 4-0 win over Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan.

Today, it was announced that the conclave had elected an Italian-Argentine cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, to be the new Pope.

Coincidence?

Viewed in the crass terms of ethnic politics, this pick looks like a two-fer: satisfying the rising Hispanic tidal wave etc., while letting the Italians get back the Papacy, which they held for about a half-millennium up until the Polish Pope.

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