Pope Benedict XVI to Launch John Paul II Foundation for Sport in UK

Paying homage to his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI will launch the Pope John Paul II Foundation for Sport as the United Kingdom prepares to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The Foundation has been formed with six objectives: To train future youth and adult leaders in sport, to promote values and virtues, to encourage sporting excellence, to promote fitness, to work towards greater community cohesion, and to make provision for inclusive activities and venues.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI (Catholic Online) -The sports world continues to rack up victories in the field of evangelization. Pope Benedict XVI will formally launch the Pope John Paul II Foundation for Sport on September 17, at a celebration of Catholic Education at St. Mary's University College in Twickenham, England. Created by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales as a legacy to the late Pontiff, the Foundation seeks to deepen the Church's commitment to overall health and well-being as the nation prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The ceremony will be broadcast live to over 800,000 school children across England, Scotland and Wales. Thirty-two children have been selected from state, independent and special needs schools across the United Kingdom to make a sporting pledge before the Holy Father, to engage in sports and "play with the right spirit, enjoy myself, give of my best, respect others, myself and the rules". Brian Kidd, who scored for Manchester United in the 1968 European Cup Final victory while still a teenager, and now Assistant Manager of Manchester City Football Club, will light an Inauguration Candle in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI as a symbol of God's light present in the world of sports. The school children will make their pledge and light their own individual candles, which they will bring back to their schools as a reminder that the Christian faith is something to be passed on, and that Christ is present in and through sports.
 
James Parker, Secretary to the Foundation's Board of Directors and Coordinator of the Catholic outreach to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is excited about this new endeavor. "Recognizing the enormous potential within sport to foster healthy values and virtues, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales wish to move beyond the boundaries of sporting excellence found in Catholic schools to encourage greater engagement with, and participation by, Catholics generally in sport," he said. "They believe that Catholic teaching has much to offer the sporting world, and that sport, when engaged with appropriately, can offer much in the area of human development."
 
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, shares Parker's enthusiasm. "With the Olympic Games less than two years away, we have a moment of opportunity and a whole process in which the aspirations of young people, the meanings of habit and routine in their lives, and the whole notion of achieving excellence can begin to be lifted up again," he said.  "The John Paul II Foundation for Sport is a venture that I am particularly interested in as it uses sport to try and introduce to young and old alike the importance of health, the dignity of our bodies, the care of physical well-being and its spiritual meaning."
 
Professor Simon Lee, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Foundation, invokes the passion for sports held by Pope John Paul II. "John Paul II stands, in sport and wider life, for being both competitive and gracious, cherishing both excellence and inclusivity," he said. "As Pope he praised the Olympic Games and the discipline and sacrifice of the world's greatest athletes. Yet he also volunteered as a boy to switch sides to make football games more even and less divisive. We are grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for generously launching this Foundation in honor of his predecessor and as a gift to wider society." The Foundation has been formed with six objectives: To train future youth and adult leaders in sport, to promote values and virtues, to encourage sporting excellence, to promote fitness, to work towards greater community cohesion, and to make provision for inclusive activities and venues. The Foundation also hopes to contribute, and where necessary restore, the role of the parish as a place where the community gathers as a type of regional, intergenerational learning outpost.
 
While this is a new venture in England and Wales, another John Paul II Foundation for Sport was founded in 2008 in Rome. It works with both the Church and Sport section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Italian Episcopal Conference's National Office for the Pastoral Care of Leisure, Tourism and Sport. They are part of an ongoing world-wide effort envisioned by Pope John Paul II to evangelize in and through the world of sports. In the United States, such efforts are spearheaded by Catholic Athletes for Christ, founded in 2006 and inspired by the same vision of Pope John Paul II. Summing up the Foundation's mission, Professor Lee quoted another Pope who appreciated the value of sports. "As Pope Pius XII put it in 1945, 'How can the Church not be interested in sport?'" he said. "All who love sport are invited to join this new Foundation in promoting practical opportunities to share in its very best values."***** James Penrice is the author of "Living the Eucharist Through Sports," "Crossing Home: The Spiritual Lessons of Baseball," and "Goal to Go: The Spiritual Lessons of Football." He is a correspondent for Catholic Athletes for Christ and a contributor to Catholic Online.

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