Pope Francis met Brazilian sports legends and blessed the Olympic flag in Rio Thursday as the football-mad pontiff brought his religious power to the city preparing major sporting events.
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The 76-year-old Argentine, an aficionado of Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo, shook hands with football icon Zico as well as Olympic athletes before receiving the keys to the metropolis.
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The pope made the sign of the cross and sprinkled holy water on the Olympic flag as he stood on the balcony of the Rio City Hall — the same spot where the symbol of Carnival, King Momo, accepts the city's keys every year to kick off the wild annual party.
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"Thank you for being here right now," Francis told a few hundred people braving the rain on the municipal mansion's courtyard. "I bless all of you, your families, your neighborhoods. And pray for me."