Pope Leo on Jubilee of Sport: No one is born a champion or saint

On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Pope closes the Jubilee of Sport with a Mass, reminding everyone that sports can be a “means of reconciliation and encounter.”
By Kielce Gussie

In St. Peter’s Basilica in front of thousands of athletes of all levels, backgrounds and sports, Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass to close the Jubilee of Sport and celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on how “unusual” the connection between the Trinity and sport might seem. However, he pointed out that since every good human activity reflects God’s infinite beauty in some way, “sport is certainly one of these.”

Sports, Pope Leo continued, can help us encounter God because they challenge “us to relate to others and with others, not only outwardly but also, and above all, interiorly.” If not, sport becomes “nothing more than an empty competition of inflated egos.”

Sports require giving
At sporting events the Italian word spectators use to cheer on athletes is “dai”, which literally means “to give”. The Pope urged everyone to reflect on this. Sports are more than just about physical achievements, he argued. They require athletes to give of themselves for others – “for our personal improvement, for our athletic supporters, for our loved ones, our coaches and colleagues, for the greater public, and even for our opponents.”

As Pope St. John Paul II, an athlete himself, said, “Sport is joy of life, a game, a celebration. It must be fostered by “by recovering its sheer gratuity, its ability to forge bonds of friendship, to encourage dialogue and openness towards others.”

Solitude, digital and competitive society
Pope Leo then suggested three things that make sport a good way of developing human and Christian values: solitude, digital society, and competitive society.

First, solitude overwhelmingly marks our society as the emphasis has shifted from “us” to “me”. This has led to a decreasing concern for others. Yet, sports may offer a solution to this deficit. The Pope highlighted how sports teach the value of working together and sharing.

Consequently, sports can “become an important means of reconciliation and encounter: between peoples and within communities, schools, workplaces and families.”