Bayern Munich Granted Audience with Pope Francis, Give Him Special Gift

Bayern Munich travelled to Italy this week to take on AS Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

After the game—which they won 7-1—they were granted an audience with football-mad Pope Francis, and Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the Argentine will be getting more than just a Bayern shirt. 

Which, of course, he did receive:

"

Philipp #Lahm and @Manuel_Neuer present His Holiness with a signed #FCBayern jersey. pic.twitter.com/v5Av1HBc0o

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2014"

Rummenigge said, as per Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC:

"

FC Bayern is known to have good connections with the church, which has fortunately led to us being offered a private audience, which we gladly accepted

It's very unusual for a club to be offered a private audience. We'll definitely take a replica shirt with us, although other clubs have already done that. We'll also take a very special gift, but I don't want to say what it is because presents should always be a surprise.

"

On Wednesday morning the surprise was revealed—a ball, which symbolised a promise of a Bayern Munich friendly match:

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#Rummenigge presents another gift from the club: A ball, symbolising an #FCBayern friendly. http://t.co/6y4IBrdFuf

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2014"

And the friendly match would be used to donate €1m to whatever cause His Holiness deemed worthy:

"

€1 million of the proceeds from the friendly match will be put towards charitable causes. pic.twitter.com/0fLXb8v7ok

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2014"

"

"Pope Francis may decide himself what the money should be put towards, in order to help people in need," said Karl-Heinz #Rummenigge.

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2014"

A generous donation, indeed—and in return there was a generous assessment of the German outfit's performance the previous evening against Roma:

"

"They played a wonderful game yesterday," said His Holiness about #FCBayern. pic.twitter.com/ciELkXfJIy

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2014"

[ESPN FC, Twitter]