February 9, 2023 / 7:00 a.m.
Pope Francis warned Vatican employees that “sport is a metaphor for life” for which he encouraged “teaming up and collaborating” in the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
This is what the Holy Father said when receiving this February 9 members of the association “Sports in the Vatican” on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its foundation.
“Their way of working as a team and collaborating can be an example for the work in and between the Departments of the Curia., as well as in the Addresses of the Vatican State. Once again, sport is a metaphor for life,” the Pope said.
Likewise, the Holy Father reminded the members of this amateur sports association of the Vatican that “in the various championships, such as when they travel for acts of solidarity, they are called to bear witness to their bond with the Holy See.”
Thus, the Pope stressed that “healthy competitiveness is an activity that can contribute to the maturation of the spirit.”
In this line, the Holy Father highlighted three fundamental rules for the athlete: training, discipline and motivation.
About him trainingthe Pope recognized that it implies “hard work -training is hard work-, sweat, sacrifice” but it is possible thanks to the passion for sport and added that “amateurism is decisive in sport”.
The Holy Father then pointed out that discipline “It is an aspect of education, of training” and he explained that “discipline reminds the ‘disciple’, that is, the one who wants to learn, the one who does not feel ‘arrived’ and capable of teaching everyone”.
“The true athlete always seeks to learn, grow, improve. And this requires, precisely, discipline, that is, the ability to control oneself, to correct the impulsiveness that we all have, to a greater or lesser extent, ”he indicated.
Finally, the Pope said that the motivation It is important because “in a race, what gives the push, what leads to a good result, is the motivation, that is, the inner strength”.
Finally, the Holy Father explained that “the evaluation is not in the numerical result, but in how faithful and constant we have been in our vocation.”