Vatican City, May 31, 2017 / 15:00 pm
Upon winning the Vatican's annual soccer championship last week, the victorious team honored Christians in Egypt who have faced increasingly brutal persecution in recent years.
"I would like to dedicate this trophy to our friends from the Coptic Church," said Deacon Sama Joan Romeo of Cameroon, the team captain of the Urban Lions.
Catholic seminarians and clergy drew soccer teams from the pontifical universities and colleges of Rome May 27 for the 13th annual Clericus Cup competition.
The competition's press officer, Felice Alborghetti, said the competition should be considered a "world cup" because players from five continents and 66 countries are on the teams, which went through four qualifying rounds to reach the finals.