Pope Francis Remembers Maradona In Prayer

JAKARTA - The leader of the Catholic Church and the head of state of the Vatican, Pope Francis, also prayed for the passing of Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona.

Since Pope Francis took office in 2013, he is the first Catholic religious leader from Latin America who has met Maradona several times who visited the Vatican.

"The pope received news of Diego Maradona's departure, he reminisces about several meetings with the deceased in recent years," said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

"He keeps remembering it in every prayer, as he has done in the last few days because of the development of Maradona's health condition," he added.

Pope Francis, originally from Argentina, is a supporter of the Buenos Aires football club, San Lorenzo.

Maradona died aged 60 of a heart attack while being treated at a rehabilitation home in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires.