Pope Leo XIV stays neutral for Villanova-Notre Dame: ‘The pope doesn’t take sides’

For Pope Leo XIV, choosing sides between two Catholic universities might ordinarily be considered a breach of papal diplomacy. But when Villanova and Notre Dame tip off the college basketball season in Rome on Sunday, the man beneath the white robes faces a temptation of an entirely different sort: rooting for his alma mater. Fortunately, the first American-born pope devised a loophole: Pope Leo XIV will remain above the fray, his allegiance safely concealed beneath the papal robes. Robert Prevo