Pope meets with Italian, Argentine soccer teams
August 13, 2013
Meeting on August 13 with soccer players from Italy and Argentina, Pope Francis urged each player to “be an example of loyalty, respect, and altruism.”
Reminding the players that they are role models for many young people, the Pontiff challenged them to live up to the highest ideals of sports. He asked team executives, too, to preserve the amateur spirit of competition, not allowing sports to be dominated by “big business.”
The Italian and Argentine teams are in Rome for a “friendly” game, to be played on August 14, in honor of the Argentine Pope. The Holy Father spoke first in Italian, then in Spanish to the players, and ended by giving them all his blessing.
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Further information:
- Pope meets Italian, Argentine football players (Vatican Radio)
- Men before champions (L’Osservatore Romano)
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