Pope to Athletica Vaticana: 'Sport can build bridges of peace in the world'

By Lisa Zengarini

Pope Francis on Saturday recalled the value of sports as a means to build peace and fraternity in a broken world, and to promote the values solidarity and inclusion in society.

All members of same human family

Sport "reminds us that, despite our differences, we are all members of the same human family," the Pope said as he addressed the Athletica Vaticana, the official Vatican amateur multi-sports association founded in 2019 under the patronage of the then Pontifical Council for Culture.

As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, Pope Francis expressed hope that “in the particularly dark historical moment we are experiencing, sport can build bridges, break down barriers, and promote peaceful relationships.”

Fraternity, inclusion and solidarity

In his address, the Holy Father praised Athletica Vaticana for its ongoing commitment to promoting "fraternity, inclusion, and solidarity," bearing witness to the Christian faith among women and men of sport, amateurs and professionals alike.

"The initiatives of Athletica Vaticana - from the simplest and most spontaneous ones to participation in international sporting events - acquire their full meaning as an expression of a community made up of women and men who, linked by their common service to the Holy See, live their sporting passion as an experience of evangelization," he said.

Pope Francis recalled that in addition to sporting activities, the association also offers closeness to the most needy by promoting several initiatives for young people with physical and intellectual disabilities, prisoners, migrants, and poor families.

The Poe  insisted on the word "closeness," which, he said, through sports becomes "tenderness," the same tenderness God shows to us.

Message of hope to young people

The Holy Father went on to remark that sport is not only “a means to express one's talents but also to build society," because it teaches us the values of universal fraternity, as reaffirmed during the Second Vatican Council by the Pastoral Constitution "Gaudium et Spes".

Sport, he added, also shows us that we can face our limits with patience and determination, and this “message of hope and courage is crucial, especially for young people.”

Sport expresses Christian values 

While reminding the athletes of Athletica Vaticana that amateurism is the essence of sport, Pope Francis concluded by inviting everyone to view sport as a way of life that helps "build a more supportive community."

”I encourage you to bring forth the values of Christian life: loyalty, sacrifice, team spirit, commitment, inclusion, asceticism, and redemption.” he said.