Seriously, you’d think these folks could be along…

Priests get rowdy in Vatican soccer game

VATICAN CITY, Vatican City, Feb. 25 (UPI) — Two teams of priests ended all hopes for a peaceful soccer match when their Vatican City league match included penalties and one hospital visit.

Despite a pre-game plea for fair play from Cardinal Pio Laghi, Saturday’s soccer match between the Brazilian students from Pontifical Gregorian University and a Mexican team of trainee priests from Mater Ecclesiae seminary quickly turned violent, the Daily Telegraph said.

“You are in sight of St Peter’s, so behave!” Laghi said before the game.

The referee had been asked to use blue penalty cards primarily to assess violations, but he wound up issuing two yellow cards for major penalties.

The low-point may have come when one player had to be assisted off the field by an ambulance crew.

The Mexicans of Mater Ecclesiae and their appropriately named goalie, Jesus, won the match, 6-0.