A reply to the X account of Pope Francis by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been deleted by them, admitting that their 'ill-judged' comment was a mistake .
"This was an ill-judged post and was swiftly deleted. We apologise for any offence," an ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying by the BBC.
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The 88-year-old Pope Francis has been hospitalised for almost three weeks, suffering from pneumonia, and a tweet appeared on his X account to mark 'Ash Wednesday'.
"The Ashes remind us of who we are, which does us good," the post read.
According to the BBC and The Telegraph, the England Cricket account wrote in reply, "Even @Pontifex loves The Ashes, relating the word 'ashes' to the traditional Test series between England and Australia.
While recuperating at Rome's Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis participated in a blessing ceremony within the private suite located on the 10th floor and also recorded a message to thank the people for their prayers.
(With inputs from AFP)
