At the Partita del Cuore (“Match of the Heart”) held on July 15 in L’Aquila, Pope Leo XIV praised sport as a powerful tool for unity, dialogue, and healing in a divided world.
The charity match brought together Italy’s National Team of Singers and National Team of Politicians, raising funds for Project Welcome, a joint initiative by the Bambino Gesù Foundation and Caritas Italiana to support hospitalized children and their families — many of whom are refugees fleeing war.
Held at the Gran Sasso stadium in L'Aquila, about 100 kilometers east of Rome, the team of singers faced off against the team of Italian politicians — including former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi — in the 34th edition of the "Match of the Heart."
“Sport speaks a language everyone understands,” the Pope said in video remarks shared with athletes, coaches, and spectators. “It can transform division into inclusion, conflict into encounter.”
The Pope was filmed in one of the salons of the Villa Barberini where he is staying in Castel Gandolfo.
In a moment that delighted the crowd, Pope Leo was shown signing a baseball handed to him by a young fan — a small but striking symbol of his message. Even in competition, he emphasized, the human heart has room for compassion.
Always possible to encounter
The Pope reflected on the very meaning of the event’s name. “Partita here means encounter, not just match. An encounter where even rivals unite for a cause greater than themselves,” he said.
He compared the spirit of the game to the famous Christmas truce of 1914, when soldiers from opposing sides laid down arms to play football together on the front lines.
Leo XIV cited the film Joyeux Noël, directed by Christian Carion and released in 2005. This feature film, which enjoyed international success, tells the story of the unexpected fraternity that arose between German, British, and French soldiers at the end of 1914.
Pope Leo XIV also mentioned Paul McCartney's 1983 song, "Pipes of Peace." In the famous video, the former Beatle shows a British soldier and a German soldier fraternizing on the front lines and exchanging letters from their families.
“It is always possible to meet — even in times of bombs and war. The greatest challenge is to encounter one another.”
Leo XIV called on institutions to support sport not merely as entertainment or profit, but as a means of social transformation.
“Playing fields can become places where social wounds are healed,” he said, urging wider access to sports for children in poverty, migrants, and those living with disabilities.
COPE reports how a refugee coach from Rome shared his own witness: “I’ve seen how a ball can unite kids who wouldn’t even speak to each other before, just because of cultural differences.” That kind of grassroots inclusion, the Pope noted, is as vital as elite competition.
What collaboration can achieve
He also praised the composition of the teams — politicians and musicians — as a sign of what collaboration can achieve.
“Politics can unite rather than divide, when it seeks the common good,” he said. “And music gives deeper meaning to our words and memories. The children who benefit from this match know this in their hearts.”
In a message to young people, Leo XIV offered a challenge: “Play to win, but never by excluding or humiliating others. Dream not only of becoming champions, but of building a more just world — starting on the field.”
Concluding his remarks, the Pope called for a “truce from war,” reminding all present that what’s truly at stake is our shared humanity. “Let this game, which speaks of peace, score a goal for all of us.”
