Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Religion News
The Catholic Church Is Using The Olympics To Engage Youths

The Catholic Church Is Using The Olympics To Engage Youths

Last updated on: July 7, 2024 at 11:16 pm by The Conversation

The Catholic Church Is Using The Olympics To Engage Youths 2024-07-07T23:16:14-04:00 The Conversation

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, ahead of the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP

By A. Jaime Morales Jr. of University of Connecticut

As the sporting world and fans await the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the Paralympic Games, eight Catholic dioceses in Greater Paris have already ignited their own Olympic flame by organizing the “Holy Games.” The project is a collaboration between the Archdiocese of Paris and the French Bishops Conference.

The Holy Games consists of three programs, each lasting a week – two during the Olympics and the third during the Paralympics. The Holy Games will bring missionaries, Catholics and other spectators together to watch the Olympics and Paralympics, celebrate Mass and engage in fellowship through various cultural activities.

French church leaders view this initiative as an opportunity to engage young Catholics and others in faith-based activities. According to La Croix International, a French Catholic newspaper, the Catholic Church in France sees the Olympics as an opportunity to harness the power of sport to evangelize.

Using sport as an evangelical tool, however, is not a new phenomenon for the global Catholic Church. In fact, several Catholic popes have contributed to the development of Catholicism and sport. As a doctoral student of sports management, I am familiar with these historical contributions.

Early Contributions

The rich history between the Catholic Church and sport has been the research focus for several religious studies scholars. Dries Vanysacker stated that the Catholic Church has always demonstrated a concern for sporting activity.

An early yet indirect contribution came from Pope Leo XIII. In a letter to clergy in 1891, he advocated for labor rights, indicating that laborers “ought to have leisure and rest.” In response to that call, Catholic sport organizations began to form in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Pope Pius X made a significant contribution by engaging with several sport organizations. In 1905, he welcomed athletes to the Holy See for the first international gymnastics competition held at the Vatican. In a speech to the participants, Pius X said, “The material exercises of the body will admirably influence the exercises of the spirit.”

Pope Pius XII also emphasized the spiritual benefits of sport. He saw sport as an opportunity to teach Christian values and aid in the development of spiritual life, in particular for youth. In a message to Italian sports people in 1945, Pius XII said, “Sport is a school of loyalty, courage, endurance, resolve, universal brotherhood, all the natural virtues.”

Vehicle For Body And Soul Development

Known as the “athlete pope,” Pope John Paul II solidified the Catholic Church’s interest in sport as he viewed sport as a vehicle for the development of body and soul. He created the Office of Church and Sport within the Pontifical Council of the Laity. The goal of this office was to be a reference point between the church and international sports organizations to foster a sports culture and to promote the study of certain issues and sport.

Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City in October 1978.
AP Photo

John Paul II also used sport as an important tool to evangelize. He held two international sport gatherings in which he spoke to numerous athletes, sports associations and other organizational leaders about the power of sport. He addressed athletes in 1991 and said that sports “foster the orderly and harmonious development of the body at the service of the spirit.”

Sport For Peace

Pope Francis is shown how a soccer ball spins on a finger at the Vatican in 2019.
AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis

Currently, Pope Francis sees sport as a means toward peace-building. In a video address prior to the opening of the 2014 World Cup, Francis said that “sport is a school of peace; it teaches us to build peace.”

In 2016, Francis founded the Sport at the Service of Humanity movement, which seeks to use sport as a catalyst for peace and social change. The main effort of the organization is to bring leaders across sports, business, academia, media and other religious backgrounds together for an annual conference. The 2024 conference, held at Creighton University in June, focused on the theme of care for the athlete.

As the French capital prepares to play host to the upcoming Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the secular world will be focused on the sporting competitions, athletic feats and medals tracking. The French Catholic Church, meanwhile, will maintain its focus on its evangelical efforts as over 70 parishes near Olympic venues welcome visitors and offer celebrations in multiple languages. The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. .

Catholic

Religion and society

Catholic

olympics

About A. Jaime Morales Jr

A. Jaime Morales Jr. is a Doctoral Student at the University of Connecticut. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

March 29, 2024

How Christians Hold Differing Views On The Resurrection

Next Post

July 12, 2024 Why The Olympic Games Are A ‘Civil Religious’ Ceremony

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Religion and society Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 January 2023 August 2022 July 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the Christian teaching about temptation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ignore it Deny it exists Give in quickly Resist and pray for strength