Published26th May 2026, 12:50 BST
Updated30th May 2026, 02:01 BST
It started as a routine business trip to Istanbul. It ended with a Wolverhampton taxi boss asking the Pope to help save Wolves from relegation.
Back in November, lifelong Wolves supporter Jim Sharma travelled to Turkey to meet a business contact, never imagining the trip would lead to a private audience with Pope Leo XIV. But through a chance connection with a local convent near the Pope’s visit, the 65-year-old from Wolverhampton suddenly found himself on a Vatican guest list few could ever dream of joining.
“I honestly thought nothing would come of it,” Jim laughed. “Then out of nowhere I got an email from the Vatican secret service to vet me.”
Jim Sharma (left) meets Pope Leo XIVplaceholder image
Jim Sharma (left) meets Pope Leo XIV | Jim Sharma
Jim, who runs Wednesfield Cars, had struck up a friendship with Mother Mary at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit after helping source herbs and gardening supplies from the UK that were difficult to find in Turkey. Weeks later, that friendship opened an extraordinary door.
When Pope Leo arrived in Istanbul following his visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Jim was among just 10 people selected to meet him face-to-face, and he was not going empty-handed.
With Wolves struggling badly in the Premier League at the time, sitting on just two points, Jim decided desperate times called for divine measures. After securing special permission from the Vatican, he presented the Pope with a gold Wolves shirt bearing “Leo” on the back.
Jim Sharma with Mother Maryplaceholder image
Jim Sharma with Mother Mary | Local Library
“You can’t just hand the Pope anything,” Jim explained. “The Vatican had to approve it first.
“I was the last in line to meet him. I gave him the shirt and he looked at it and smiled. He said, ‘Oh look, you’ve got my name on it — this is fantastic.’ He loved the colours.”
But Jim had one more request.
“I told him Wolves weren’t doing very well and asked if he’d say a prayer for us,” he revealed. “And he said he would.”
Jim admits he briefly considered asking the Pope to wear the shirt publicly while delivering a blessing — before deciding that might be pushing his luck.
“I thought asking him to wear it on the balcony might have been a bit much,” he joked.
At the time, Wolves fans would have accepted help from almost anywhere. Yet since the papal prayer, results mysteriously improved for a while.
A draw at Manchester United was followed by an emphatic 3-0 win over West Ham - the club’s first Premier League victory since April - before another valuable point at Everton.
Coincidence? Maybe. But for Jim, the experience itself was surreal enough.
“Afterwards I realised how massive it was,” he said. “This is one of the most important men in the world and I’m standing there talking to him about Wolves.
“I don’t think he knows much about football, but he definitely liked the shirt.”
And while the Pope’s prayer may have inspired a brief revival, it ultimately was not enough to save Wolves from relegation - leaving fans to wonder whether even divine intervention has its limits at Molineux.
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