The significance of Pope Francis’s remarks on sports lies primarily in their depth. They are not just simple comments, nor merely an examination of the relationship between sports and the Catholic religion, although the reference to Saint Paul also shows that for the athlete, the Gospel can be a source of inspiration and reflection.
Addressing the values of sports, particularly the Olympic values, he conducts a detailed analysis, confirming their universal nature. We must remember that the universality of sports owes to its presence on all five continents (let us recall that more states are represented at the IOC than at the UN), but also because it is a common language through which, regardless of one’s country and culture, we can communicate by competing peacefully.
In this regard, Olympism, like religion, can be defined as a culture of fraternity. Both prioritize meeting and celebration, and from this perspective, we can consider that the same inspiration permeates the “World Youth Days,” created by John Paul II, and the Olympic Games, long presented as the gathering of the world’s youth.
Referring to John Paul II, we cannot overlook that this predecessor of Francis was also a “sporty pope.” Photographed on skis, he embodied an image of strength and resilience that earned him the nickname “God’s Athlete.”
In fact, from the emergence of modern sports at the end of the 19th century, the papacy had expressed its interest. In 1891, Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum legitimized the creation of parish patronages. This led, in France, to the creation in 1898 of the federation of patronages, which played a significant role in the development of sports in general and particularly of some like basketball. The Federation Sportive et Culturelle de France that exists today is its heir.
Bernard Maccario, President of CREPS PACA and Friends of the National Sports Museum
