杏MAP导航

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 first audience in months was granted to a small group of young athletes who would have participated tomorrow in an international meeting called 鈥淲e Run Together 鈥� Simul Currebant鈥�. He met with them in his private library after the General Audience on Wednesday morning. The event had been organized by the Vatican Athletic association in collaboration with the athletic group Fiamme Gialle, or Yellow Flames of the Italian law enforcement agency that covers financial crimes, the Pontifical Council for Culture's "Courtyard of the Gentiles鈥� and the Italian Federation of Light Athletics (FIDAL) of the Lazio Region.

The meeting had originally been scheduled to take place tomorrow, but has been cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis.

The values of sports

杏MAP导航 Francis began his remarks to the children in the group thanking them for what they do. 鈥淓veryone is doing something for the community, for others. And this is what joy is. Right?鈥� In the case of those present, the 杏MAP导航 said it is 鈥渢he joy of giving, of offering the beauty and the possibility of sports to everyone鈥�.

He continued saying that offering joy and happiness to others is a creative human attitude. The 杏MAP导航 reminded the group that people go so far as to give their lives to others: mothers and fathers for their children, and many others鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted that what makes what these children do beautiful is that they do not compete or play games. Rather, they do something together. 鈥淵ou run together鈥�, he said in English.

Gospel values

To illustrate this, the 杏MAP导航 used the Gospel passage of the two disciples running toward the tomb on Easter morning (see John 20:3-6). The younger John outran the older Peter, but waited for him before entering the empty tomb. He also called to mind an 鈥渁ncient medieval rule for pilgrims鈥� that says the pace should be set according to the weakest person in the group.

This is what we all need to learn, 杏MAP导航 Francis said in concluding his remarks to the young athletes: 鈥渢o go at the pace of the people who have another speed, or at least to consider them and to accommodate our pace to theirs.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 then gave a formal message regarding the event that would have taken place tomorrow. It was an International Athletic Meeting in which Olympic champions would have run alongside Paralympic athletes, refugees, migrants and prisoners.

Sports builds brigdes

杏MAP导航 Francis called the planned event 鈥渁 concrete witness of what sports should be: a 鈥撯�榖ridge鈥� that unites men and women of different religions and cultures, promoting inclusion, friendship, solidarity, education. In other words, a 鈥榖ridge鈥� of peace鈥�.

Since the event has been cancelled, the 杏MAP导航 said that even though those who would have participated cannot 鈥渞ace with their legs鈥�, they can still 鈥渞ace with their hearts鈥�.

"And thus, the many athletes who were going to participate, and whom I would have had the pleasure to meet personally, are donating several objects鈥�for a charitable initiative."

Race to fight Covid-19

The proceeds from this initiative will benefit the 鈥溞覯AP导航 John XXIII鈥� hospital in Bergamo and the 鈥淧oliambulance Foundation鈥� in Brescia. Both of these institutions have been serving patients suffering from the coronavirus in the hard hit Italian Lombardy region. It is a way of showing gratitude, the 杏MAP导航 said, to the medical personal. 鈥淭hey are heroes!鈥� he said, who in risking their lives to save others fulfill Jesus鈥檚 words: 鈥淕reater love than this no one has than to lay down one鈥檚 life for a friend鈥� (see John 15:13).  

杏MAP导航 Francis ended his message encouraging those in the group to live out their passion for sport as 鈥渁n esperience of unity and solidarity鈥�.

"It is specifically the true values of sports that are particularly important in facing this period of the pandemic and above all, the difficult aftermath. And in this spirit I invite you to run, together, on the track of life."

More about the event

A statement released by the event organizers explained more about the charitable initiative 杏MAP导航 Francis referred to. The full name of the event is 鈥淲e Run Together: a Race of Solidarity against Covid-19鈥�. An auction will be active beginning on Monday 8 June at the charitystars.com fundraising platform. Items have been donated by such recent athletic champions as Tania Cagnotto, Arianna Fontana, Sofia Goggia, Gianmarco Tamberi, Filippo Tortu, Dorothea Wierer, and by older athletes such as Kristian Ghedina, Antonio Rossi, and many others.