LONDON, March 7, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
has apologised for a social media post that joked the hospitalised Pope
Francis "loves the Ashes", reports said.

"This was an ill-judged post and was swiftly deleted. We apologise for any
offence," the BBC quoted an ECB spokesperson as saying.

A message on the X account of the 88-year-old pope, who has been in hospital
for nearly three weeks with pneumonia, was posted to mark Ash Wednesday.

"The Ashes remind us of who we are, which does us good," the post said.

According to the BBC and The Telegraph, the England Cricket account wrote in
reply: "Even @Pontifex loves The Ashes."

The post has since been deleted.

The Ashes in cricket is the high-profile Test series between great rivals
England and Australia.

Francis missed the formal Ash Wednesday celebrations in Rome marking the
start of Lent, but took part in a blessing in the private suite reserved for
popes on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli hospital.

The pope recorded and released an audio message on Thursday thanking those
who have been praying for his recovery, his voice breathless.