Pope Leo XIV Congratulates Team but Warns "when sport becomes a business, it risks losing the values that make it educational, and can even become anti-educational"
GREETING OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV
TO THE NAPLES FOOTBALL CLUB
Sala Clementina
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
__________________
Perhaps they didn't want to applaud because the press says I'm a Roma fan... But welcome! The press says this. Not everything you read in the press is true!
Dear friends,
Welcome! And congratulations on winning the championship! It's a great celebration for the city of Naples!
And it's precisely on this that I would like to reflect with you. Winning the championship is a goal that is achieved at the end of a long journey, where what matters most is not the one-time exploit, or the extraordinary performance of a champion. The championship is won by the team, and when I say "team" I mean both the players, the coach with the whole team, and the sports club.
Therefore, I am really happy to welcome you now, to highlight this aspect of your success, which I believe to be the most important. And I would say that it is also from a social point of view. We know how popular football is in Italy and practically throughout the world. And so, also from this perspective, it seems to me that the social value of an event like this, which goes beyond the merely technical-sporting fact, is the example of a team - in a broad sense - that works together, in which the talents of the individuals are put at the service of the whole.
And there is one last thing that I would like to say taking advantage of this opportunity. It is about the educational aspect. Unfortunately, when sport becomes a business, it risks losing the values that make it educational, and can even become anti-educational. We need to be vigilant about this, especially when dealing with adolescents. I appeal to parents and sports managers: we need to pay close attention to the moral quality of the sporting experience at a competitive level, because the human growth of young people is at stake. I think we understand each other, and there is no need for many words.
Thank you for your visit. And congratulations again! Congratulations also from a lady who is cooking for me these days and who is from Naples and says: happy birthday! She would like to be here too, Mrs. Rosa, a big fan!
May the Lord bless all of you and your families. Congratulations!
TO THE NAPLES FOOTBALL CLUB
Sala Clementina
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
__________________
Perhaps they didn't want to applaud because the press says I'm a Roma fan... But welcome! The press says this. Not everything you read in the press is true!
Dear friends,
Welcome! And congratulations on winning the championship! It's a great celebration for the city of Naples!
And it's precisely on this that I would like to reflect with you. Winning the championship is a goal that is achieved at the end of a long journey, where what matters most is not the one-time exploit, or the extraordinary performance of a champion. The championship is won by the team, and when I say "team" I mean both the players, the coach with the whole team, and the sports club.
Therefore, I am really happy to welcome you now, to highlight this aspect of your success, which I believe to be the most important. And I would say that it is also from a social point of view. We know how popular football is in Italy and practically throughout the world. And so, also from this perspective, it seems to me that the social value of an event like this, which goes beyond the merely technical-sporting fact, is the example of a team - in a broad sense - that works together, in which the talents of the individuals are put at the service of the whole.
And there is one last thing that I would like to say taking advantage of this opportunity. It is about the educational aspect. Unfortunately, when sport becomes a business, it risks losing the values that make it educational, and can even become anti-educational. We need to be vigilant about this, especially when dealing with adolescents. I appeal to parents and sports managers: we need to pay close attention to the moral quality of the sporting experience at a competitive level, because the human growth of young people is at stake. I think we understand each other, and there is no need for many words.
Thank you for your visit. And congratulations again! Congratulations also from a lady who is cooking for me these days and who is from Naples and says: happy birthday! She would like to be here too, Mrs. Rosa, a big fan!
May the Lord bless all of you and your families. Congratulations!
Source: Vatican.va
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