Vatican City, Aug 2, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Pontifical Council for the Laity hopes that its new section, Church and Sports, will help promote sport “as a school of virtue” and as an “instrument of peace throughout the nations.”
Intent on showing the solicitude of the Holy See in the world of sports, Pope John Paul II recently created the new section within the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
“The Vatican recognizes the the very important role of sports in the world today,” reads a Vatican statement. “The next Olympics in Athens and the millions of people who will watch them around the world is another sign of how important sports are in the world.”
However, the Vatican also points out that certain tendencies have distanced the world of sports from its original ideals. Therefore, says the Vatican, there is an urgent need to recall the fundamental values in this area.