The Archbishop of Sao Paulo (Brazil), Cardinal Odilo Scherer, asked to pray for Pelé, after the announcement of his demise on Thursday,29 December. He passed away at the age of 82.
“A prayer for Pelé, may God welcome him in his infinite mercy!” wrote the Brazilian Cardinal on his Twitter account. He was considered by many the best soccer player in history.
“Inspiration and love marked the day of King Pelé, who passed away peacefully today,” read his social networks.
“During his journey, Edson enchanted everyone with his genius in sports: he stopped a war, did social work around the world, and spread what he most believed was the cure for all problems: love,” the message added.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, “Pelé”, was born on October 23, 1940 in Brazil. He started playing professionally at the age of 17.
He was the world champion three times with the Brazilian team, with whom he wore the number 10 shirt. In his career, he scored 1,284 goals.
“God gave me the gift of playing soccer, and I got the rest because I took care of myself and prepared myself,” Pelé once commented.
When Argentine Diego Armando Maradona passed away in 2020, Pelé said that “in heaven, we will play together on the same team.”
Father Juan Manuel Góngora, a Spanish priest who has more than 57,000 followers on Twitter, stated that “Pelé, the king of soccer, has met the King of Kings. Thank you for the legacy he has left us. Rest in peace”.
“May the Lord welcome you in his mercy,” the priest said later in statements to ACI Prensa, the Spanish website.