What?? A baseball signed by Pope Francis is up for auction

Following the passing of Pope Francis yesterday, it was announced that a baseball signed by him will be auctioned, TMZ reports.

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According to the portal, the item will be featured at the RR auction and is expected to fetch no less than $15,000. It is worth noting that the current owner of this ball is Randy L. Kaplan, a government relations specialist in New York.

While working with the Vatican several years ago, he managed to secure autographs from both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI on baseballs. The signature "Francis" is penned in black marker on a Rawlings MLB ball.

In addition to the baseball itself, the auction winner will also receive correspondence between Kaplan and Vatican officials regarding the acquisition of the pontiffs' autographs. It is noted that the auction is set to conclude on May 14.

It's worth adding that Randy Kaplan has been collecting MLB baseballs signed by world leaders and heads of state since 1996, starting with Bill Clinton. He claims that his collection now boasts over 450 signed balls.