Pope praises ice-hockey skaters
for their capacity to get back on their feet
Pope Francis receives participants of the International Ice
Hockey Federation Semi-Annual Congress.
By Vatican News
Pope Francis on Friday greeted sportsmen and staff of the
International Ice Hockey Federation who are holding their Semi-Annual Congress,
and highlighting the fact that sport is a channel for the promotion of peace
and unity.
Sporting activities are meeting places
He said sporting activities are meeting places where people
of many different backgrounds come together, and he said that hockey is a good
example of how sport can express a sense of community.
“It is a team game in which each team member has an
important role to play,” he said.
The Pope reflected on how the Church also values sport as
“an arena of human activity where the virtues of temperance, humility, courage
and patience can be fostered, and encounters with beauty, goodness, truth and
joy can be witnessed.”
He encouraged those in charge of the Federation to continue
to make the sport inclusive and available to individuals on a global level.
The capacity to get up after a fall
The Pope then praised the skills and techniques required for
ice-skaters including the capacity to “get up after a fall,” and he remarked on
a recently updated statute and the fact that a new Ethics Board has been
included.
“Today’s culture may sometimes steer sporting activities
down the wrong path, but we must keep in mind that rules are there to serve a
specific purpose and to avoid a descent into chaos,” he said.
Pope Francis concluded encouraging those present and the
Federation “to go forth and continue your special mission to make this sport
inclusive and to ensure a safe community for all who take part”.
“May the Lord bless you and always give you the joy of sport
being played together,” he said.
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