"... Together with its extraordinary educational potential, sport can also play a decisive role in helping people to find a greater sense of meaning in a life that is subject to serious moral or physical challenges, such as the many disabled people who regain a sense of self esteem and find new courage in facing their difficulties through the practice of a sport. Nor should we underestimate in our globalized world, the contribution that sport can make in fostering a cultura that is rooted in solidarity and fraternity.
At the centre of the seminar's reflection stood the figure of the sport chaplain, a key protagonist in manifesting the presence of the Church within the world of sport.
At the end of this publication of the seminar proceedings, we have included a small selection of papal discourses that further manifest the Church's pastoral care for the wolrd of sport. It is our hope that these texts will serve as a stimulus for further reflection on the role of the sport chaplain as well as the many opportunities within the sport that await the creative missionary presence of the apostolate of the lay faithful."
From the preface, Stanisław Card. Ryłko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
Sport: an Educational and Pastoral Challenge, Seminar proceedings, 7-8 September 2007 (€15). Available in Italian and English. Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2008.