Gayle Benson gifts custom Saints jersey to Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY (WVUE) - Team owner Gayle Benson presented Pope Francis with a customized New Orleans Saints jersey during an audience with the pontiff earlier this week, the team said.

The white road jersey was emblazoned with the name “Papa Francesco” and the No. 1 on the back.

The team did not say when the papal audience took place. But according to a spokesperson, Benson met with Pope Francis and members of the Papal Foundation as part of a 10-day trip to Italy, Vatican City and Germany, in which she is “sharing her vision for investment in New Orleans and the renovation of the iconic St. Louis Cathedral.”

Benson already has moved on to Germany, meeting Wednesday (April 17) with Gunther Schmid, the nation’s head of foreign trade, and with staff from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism.

While in Rome, Benson also met with Italian leaders in economic development and tourism, promoting business development in Louisiana and New Orleans.

“This has been a very productive trip promoting and talking investment and tourism for our state of Louisiana,” Benson said in a statement from Stuttgart. “There is so much excitement among the people that I met with in Rome, wishing to help us in the restoration of the St. Louis Cathedral.

“In Germany, there is tremendous interest in investment and business connection with our state. They love NFL football in Germany, so that was a plus. I wanted to take advantage of this unique opportunity to promote our state, encourage business development and of course promote our great tourism industry in Louisiana and New Orleans.”

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