Athletica Vaticana to compete in European Cycling Championship

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Athletica Vaticana, or the "team of the Pope" as it is sometimes called, is set to compete in the European Cycling Championships on Sunday, 15 September, in Belgium's province of Limburg in Flanders.

Pope Francis will be in Belgium, 26-29 September, and, as reported in a press release, his team will promote a fraternal, inclusive, and solidarity-based proposal for peace in the heart of war-wounded Europe.

'Team of the Pope'

It is the third time for the ‘team of the Pope’ to compete in the World Championships, after its debut at the 2022 edition in Australia, and then in the 2023 edition in Scotland.

It is the first participation in the European Championship for the Vatican Cycling Federation within Athletica Vaticana.

Its start is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., and the route measures 222 kilometres with cobbled sections.

Time for prayer and faith

On Saturday, 14 September, the Vatican cyclists will embrace the Catholic community, a point of reference for people living in fragile and poor conditions.

Welcoming the team will be Bishop Patrick Hoogmarten of Hasselt.

During Holy Mass, celebrated in St. Quentin's Cathedral, prayers will be said in particular for all cyclists, both professionals and amateurs, and for sport to be always an experience of peace.

There will also be a special remembrance of Pope Saint John Paul II's Apostolic Journey in 1995 for the beatification of missionary Damian de Veuster, who lived in the 19th century among lepers on the island of Molokai, who came from the very land that is hosting the European Cycling Championships.