2 months ago
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(NewsNation) — Former NBA subordinate and quality rights activistic Enes Kanter Freedom remembered Pope Francis arsenic "more than a planetary spiritual leader" and "a awesome of anticipation and peace" pursuing the pontiff's decease Monday.
The Muslim jock described forging a meaningful transportation with the Catholic leader, which inspired him to found a hoops campy astatine the Vatican, bringing unneurotic children of antithetic faiths.
"Sports bring radical together. It doesn't substance your background, your religion, your color, whoever you are," Freedom told NewsNation. "We brought Muslim kids, Christian kids, Jewish kids, and we had an astonishing time."
"Pope Francis was much than a planetary spiritual person - helium was a antheral of heavy compassion, humility, and humanity," Freedom posted connected societal media, recalling his meetings with the pope that helium inactive calls "incredible."
Freedom recalled his interactions with the pope, including a infinitesimal erstwhile Francis asked him to basal up truthful helium could spot however gangly the hoops subordinate was.
"Every clip I spot him, helium decidedly did enactment a grin connected my face," Freedom said.
Leaders from astir the satellite have been paying tribute to Pope Francis since his death. Britain's King Charles honored the pope connected societal media for "his enactment and attraction for some radical and planet" who "profoundly touched the lives of truthful many."
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, lone the 2nd Catholic to service arsenic president, posted that "Pope Francis volition beryllium remembered arsenic 1 of the astir consequential leaders of our clip and I americium amended for having known him."
Biden had met with the pope 3 times arsenic vice president and doubly arsenic president, awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom with favoritism successful 1 of his past acts arsenic main executive.
