Ahead of the Paris Olympics, around 200 participants are expected to gather in Rome from May 16th to 18th for the international conference “Risk for Our Lives”, organized by the Vatican and the French Embassy in the Holy See.
Lisa Zengarini
In the framework of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the French Embassy in Rome and the Vatican Cultural Affairs Office will host an international conference on sport and spirituality from May 16th to 18th.
The event, entitled “Mettere la vita in gioco” (Italian for “Mettere la vita in gioco”), was attended by professional, paralympic and amateur athletes, representatives of international sports organizations, sports club managers, university athletes and others. 200 participants will gather. / Pedagogy / Sociology / Anthropology / Philosophy / Theology and the agency of pastoral care of sport, which considers the spiritual meaning of sport, which has become one of the most practiced and supported cultural activities in modern society Man.
The mental aspect of sports
Indeed, Cardinal José Tolentino Mendonça, whose conference will open on May 16, said that sports have always been linked to the spiritual side of life, as Pope Francis has also emphasized several times.
“Looking at the history of sport alongside the history of the church, there have been many moments when sport became an inspiration and metaphor for the Christian life, or when Christianity itself enriched sport with a humanistic vision. ”, the head of the Department of Culture and Education said at an event press conference on Monday, which was also attended by France’s Ambassador to Rome, Mrs. Florence Mangin.
church and sports
Participants will therefore understand why sport is so popular today, identify risks, assess its relevance in building a more fraternal, tolerant and just society, and In doing so, we seek to discern how God manifests himself in sports competitions. The purpose of the outreach is to find answers to his two fundamental questions: “What does sport have to say to the church?” and “What does the church say about sports?” This is how the title of the conference was chosen, Cardinal Mendonça said.
Themes discussed at the conference
On the first day (May 16th), we will explore the relationship between the church and sports by sharing testimonies from high-level athletes, using sports for the gospel, and sharing specific pastoral experiences of using the gospel for sports. I’ll take it up. The second day (May 17th) focused on the relationship between “humans and sport” through the reflections of a distinguished group of speakers from Italian and French universities, with a focus on pedagogical, philosophical, sociological, Discuss sports from a theological perspective. Relevance. The third day (May 18th) will take on a more practical dimension, with a solidarity sports event (fraternity relay) that will demonstrate to civil society the social relevance of sport itself.
