This morning, the Vatican Press Centre released the text of a video message which the Holy Father, Pope Francis recorded for the opening of the World Cup which begins today in Brazil. This message was transmitted by Brazilian television in anticipation of the tournament.
Dear friends,
It is with great joy that I greet you, lovers of football, on the occasion of the opening of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I want to send a warm greeting to the organizers and the participants; to every athlete and every fan, as well as all the spectators either in the stadium or on television, on the radio or on the internet, to all those who follow this event which surpasses the boundaries of language, culture and nation.
My hope is that in addition to being a celebration of sport, the World Cup might become a festival of solidarity among and between peoples. This assumes however that the football matches are considered for what they truly are: they are games, but they are also opportunities for dialogue, for understanding and for mutual human enrichment. Sport is not only a form of entertainment, but also - I would say above all - an instrument for communicating values that promote the good of the human person and help to build a more peaceful and fraternal society. We can consider loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity. In fact, there are many values and attitudes fostered by football that are not only important on the field but in all aspects of life, especially in the promotion of peace. Sport is a school of peace; it teaches us how to make peace.
In this sense, I want to highlight three practical lessons we can learn from sports, three essential attitudes for the good of peace: the need for practice, for fair play and for honour among all the competitors. First, sports teaches us that in order to win, we need to practice. Practice in sport shows us a metaphor for life. In life, we need to fight, to practice, to strive for important results. Sportsmanship therefore becomes an image for the sacrifices needed in order to grow in the virtues that build a person's character. If it takes constant and extended practice for a person to improve, we should also understand that constant and extended efforts are necessary in order to encounter one another and to promote peace between individuals - to improve society! We need so much practice ...
Football can and should be a school for building a culture of encounter, which promotes peace and harmony among peoples. And here we draw upon a second lesson from the world of sports: we need to learn what fair play in football can teach us. To play on a team, we need to think, first of all, about the good of the group, not about our own selves. In order to win, we need to overcome individualism, egotism, all forms of racism, intolerance and objectification of the human person. Not only in football is greed an obstacle to the success of a team; when we are greedy in life, when we ignore the people around us, all of society is harmed.
The last lesson that sports teaches us for peace is honour among the competitors. The secret to victory on the field and also in life, is to learn to respect the other members on my team, but also to respect my opponent. No one wins on their own, neither on the field nor in life! No one should feel isolated or excluded! Be careful! There is no room for segregation or racism! And even if it is true that, at the end of the tournament, only one national team will hoist the trophy and emerge victorious, if we learn the lessons that sports can teach us, we will all emerge as winners, able to strengthen the ties that unite us.
Dear friends, I appreciate the opportunity you have afforded me to address these few words to you at this time. In particular, I want to thank Her Excellency, the President of Brazil, Ms. Dilma Rouseff, who I greet, and I assure you of my prayers for heavenly blessings upon you all. May this World Cup take place in all serenity and tranquility, in mutual respect, solidarity and fraternity among men and women who are members of one and the same family. Thank you very much!
Video Message prepared by His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the opening of the World Cup
Dear friends,
It is with great joy that I greet you, lovers of football, on the occasion of the opening of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I want to send a warm greeting to the organizers and the participants; to every athlete and every fan, as well as all the spectators either in the stadium or on television, on the radio or on the internet, to all those who follow this event which surpasses the boundaries of language, culture and nation.
My hope is that in addition to being a celebration of sport, the World Cup might become a festival of solidarity among and between peoples. This assumes however that the football matches are considered for what they truly are: they are games, but they are also opportunities for dialogue, for understanding and for mutual human enrichment. Sport is not only a form of entertainment, but also - I would say above all - an instrument for communicating values that promote the good of the human person and help to build a more peaceful and fraternal society. We can consider loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity. In fact, there are many values and attitudes fostered by football that are not only important on the field but in all aspects of life, especially in the promotion of peace. Sport is a school of peace; it teaches us how to make peace.
In this sense, I want to highlight three practical lessons we can learn from sports, three essential attitudes for the good of peace: the need for practice, for fair play and for honour among all the competitors. First, sports teaches us that in order to win, we need to practice. Practice in sport shows us a metaphor for life. In life, we need to fight, to practice, to strive for important results. Sportsmanship therefore becomes an image for the sacrifices needed in order to grow in the virtues that build a person's character. If it takes constant and extended practice for a person to improve, we should also understand that constant and extended efforts are necessary in order to encounter one another and to promote peace between individuals - to improve society! We need so much practice ...
Football can and should be a school for building a culture of encounter, which promotes peace and harmony among peoples. And here we draw upon a second lesson from the world of sports: we need to learn what fair play in football can teach us. To play on a team, we need to think, first of all, about the good of the group, not about our own selves. In order to win, we need to overcome individualism, egotism, all forms of racism, intolerance and objectification of the human person. Not only in football is greed an obstacle to the success of a team; when we are greedy in life, when we ignore the people around us, all of society is harmed.
The last lesson that sports teaches us for peace is honour among the competitors. The secret to victory on the field and also in life, is to learn to respect the other members on my team, but also to respect my opponent. No one wins on their own, neither on the field nor in life! No one should feel isolated or excluded! Be careful! There is no room for segregation or racism! And even if it is true that, at the end of the tournament, only one national team will hoist the trophy and emerge victorious, if we learn the lessons that sports can teach us, we will all emerge as winners, able to strengthen the ties that unite us.
Dear friends, I appreciate the opportunity you have afforded me to address these few words to you at this time. In particular, I want to thank Her Excellency, the President of Brazil, Ms. Dilma Rouseff, who I greet, and I assure you of my prayers for heavenly blessings upon you all. May this World Cup take place in all serenity and tranquility, in mutual respect, solidarity and fraternity among men and women who are members of one and the same family. Thank you very much!
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