We would like to share an article written byThomas Wurth, Founding Director of Varsity Catholic within FOCUS. The article was originally published in faithandathletics.com on February of 2015.
Pope Francis – the man in white, Time Magazine’s 2013 Man of the Year, a media sensation, the Vicar of Christ – has some things to say about sport. He has given, to date, 10 addresses on various occasions, and I am posting a 3-part series highlighting just some of his comments.
This first post is focused on a few of these comments our Holy Father made on the function of sport for society. The two most profound and often repeated are:
- defending human dignity/harmoniously developing humankind, and
- contributing to a peaceful world.
In the midst of sport, we are able to focus on what unites us – a love for the game. When we are focused on this love, the chance for a dialogue is created. The dialogue can help contribute to a peaceful world. The hope being we put our differences aside to enter into the event. This has failed a few times (for more go here), but nonetheless it is a possibility…and one we should always try to utilize.
Yes, we will never live in utopia, or a perfectly peaceful world, but Pope Francis speaks to a great possibility that sport can work towards, and a challenge that it should strive to achieve.
I remember watching the US play in the World Cup a few years back. I was in southern California with only two other people I knew at a restaurant. When we scored, it was like every other person in the establishment was my brother, sister, or friend. Not many things can do that like sport can. With so many issues in our own society causing division, we were united for a short 90+ minutes.
The grassroots, local peace-building-pursuits seem easier to achieve, while the international peace dialogue can be risky due to national pride taken too far (see the article here for more commentary). Again, sport won’t make the world perfect, but it should be a piece of the puzzle employed to generate a peaceful world. It can help us accept differences by making it “a precious occasion of mutual enrichment and discovery[i]”. In his address to the European Olympic Committee, he said:
It is important that those involved at the various levels of sports promote human and religious values which form the foundation of a just and fraternal society. This is possible because the language of sports is universal; it extends across borders, language, race, religion and ideology; it possesses the capacity to unite people, together, by fostering dialogue and acceptance.[ii]
With sport, all are welcome (think of the Paralympics and Special Olympics on the international stage) and encouraged to participate. This aspect speaks directly to human dignity and the harmonious development of humanity. It recognizes the good in each person, their value to society and their individual worth.
One accepts every athlete who wishes to join, they accept one another with simplicity and kindness. I invite all managers and coaches to be, above all, accepting people, capable of holding the door open to give each one, especially the least fortunate, an opportunity to express himself.[iii]
These aspects elevate the conversation in terms of what sport can provide to society. It takes intentionality by those who direct and shape the culture (from youth to professional sport) and gives us a vision of what can happen if we look at sport as more than simply what the “consumer” can get from it.
The question remains for each of us (parent, athlete, coach, etc.): what is my role in helping to achieve these functions?
[i] ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO THE ATHLETES OF THE ITALIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE Vatican’s Paul VI Hall Saturday, October 4th 2014
[ii] ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE Clementine Hall Saturday, 23 November 2013
[iii] ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO MEMBERS OF THE SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE CSI (ITALIAN SPORTS CENTER) Saint Peter’s Square Saturday, 7 June 2014
