Pope Leo XIV catches Tyrone GAA jersey at Vatican parade

Pope Leo XIV showed a bit of dexterity outside the Vatican this week when he caught a Tyrone GAA jersey in mid air.

The ‘Leo 14’ top was lobbed to the pontiff by Tyrone producer Aidan Gallagher who said it was a “great catch”.

But he didn’t give Pope Leo full credit, adding: “The 14 jersey from Tyrone has an energy in itself. It took [on] its own life and landed in the hands of the Pope.”

So could Pope Leo find himself an even greater legion of fans among the Red Hands in O’Neill county?

“The number 14 jersey for Tyrone is obviously a sacred thing in Tyrone itself,” he told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme.

“Some great men have worn it in the past; Frank McGuigan, the king as we used to call him, and Peter Canavan, who in our own county, is our own Saint Peter if you like”.

It was “no surprise he held it high and gave it a good wave,” Mr Gallagher continued.

Mr Gallagher was in Rome to attend the Pope’s weekly General Audience and promote a new documentary series The Kingship of Christ.

“We actually initially missed the opportunity of shaking hands with him and we just took that opportune moment of pitching it at the right time,” he said.

He said the idea of the jersey came from his colleague Joe Passmore who, he said, was a “bit of a genius” for marketing.

He said they hoped that by throwing the jersey and taking a video and photographs of the catch, they would make the documentary “more visible” to younger audiences.

Mr Gallagher said they thought: “Could we get a photograph of Leo with the number 14 jersey?”

Certainly, the footage has gone viral on many platforms.

“It was just a great opportunity to tell the world about this production that we have… If you can have fun doing your work, why not?’

“The Pope is a younger man, you saw that with the glee and the gusto that he caught the jersey and waved it high.

“And, fair play to him,” said Mr Gallagher.