A “healthy sports culture” can help “humanity grow,” says Pope Francis. However, he laments episodes of intolerance that sometimes take place in the world of sports, in a message addressed to the editorial staff of Corriere dello Sport-Stadio. The Italian daily is celebrating its 100th anniversary (having been founded in Bologna on October 20, 1924).
Unifying power
“Although we have unfortunately witnessed episodes of intolerance in recent years that must be condemned, I am certain that there are many other examples where sports have been able to help ‘come together as a team,’ without race, class, or religious denomination being obstacles or barriers,” writes Pope Francis in his letter. “Sports is one of the factors that makes us feel like one people, as when we stand up to sing the anthem, at home, in a stadium, or at a sports complex.”
In Italy, soccer stadiums are regularly the scene of xenophobic and racist acts, most often targeting players of African origin. Last January, Mike Maignan, goalkeeper for AC Milan and for the French national team, walked off the pitch after being the target of shouted insults during a match in Udine.
“We must reject every logic of exclusion and violence. And for this we know that words have their value, to educate in what is good and beautiful, rather than to destroy,” the Pope writes, also insisting on the responsibility of the media for the way they report the news.
Sports as a school of virtues
“The competition of sports is healthy, because it requires patience, listening to the coach, respect for adversaries, for the rules, and for the referees, and coordination with teammates.” In this way, says the Pope, the spread of a healthy sports culture helps “humanity to grow in its most beautiful and authentic values.”
Referencing the Paris Olympics held this summer, he underlined the inner strength of disabled athletes. “Their competitions are a hymn to life!” he says.
In his message, the Pope also recalls his own youth in Argentina, when as a child he played soccer with a rag ball.
“How beautiful it is to experience the feeling of fraternity. We play together, and we know we're only opponents on the pitch, never enemies. We learn the joy of victory and the sweat and effort it has cost, and we also learn from defeat, by trying to get back up and remember errors we’ve committed so we can try to overcome them next time,” says Francis.
He adds that we should also try “simply to accept our own diversity and our own limitations: we’re all precious and unique, but we’re not perfect.”
He also highlights the benefits of parishes that promote cultural and sporting activities for children. “Today too, we need spaces for sports, especially in the poorest and most isolated areas. But above all we need adults who truly welcome little children and young people, know how to listen to their dreams, and together with them, to desire a better future.”
Also, in an informal tone, the Pope recalls that some people say he is a supporter of the Argentinean team San Lorenzo. His true loyalty "remains a secret,” he writes with amusement.
