Suor Paola featured on panel of TV football show for years.

Italian nun Suor Paola, a devoted Lazio fan and a well-known football commentator on television, died in Rome on Tuesday, aged 77, after a long illness.

Born Rita D’Auria in 1947 in Roccella Jonica, in Italy's southern Calabria region, the Franciscan nun died at her convent on Via Monti della Farnesina, in the north of the capital.

Suor Paola dedicated her life to assisting prisoners and victims of violence with the So.Spe association, however it was through her passion for football that the jolly nun became a household face - both on television and in the stands of the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Per sempre con noi.

Ciao, Suor Paola pic.twitter.com/w1TYlhW9oS

— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) April 1, 2025

She was a regular commentator on the RAI television football show Quelli che... il Calcio from 1993 to 2005, and was live on air when her beloved club clinched the Serie A title in 2000.

In a statement, Lazio mourned her loss, hailing the nun as "a much-loved figure among all Lazio fans and the entire Roman community", and remembering her as "a beacon of hope and generosity, an extraordinary example of humanity and dedication towards anyone who needed help or comfort."

There were tributes too from the Italian government. Deputy premier Antonio Tajani wrote on X: "A good person with a kind soul. Suor Paola was a source of comfort for many in need. Today the city of Rome loses a religious icon, a face of charity and hope. May she rest in peace."