VATICAN/ITALY: FOOTBALL/ SOCCER: Pope greets soccer players ahead of Match for Peace

Record ID: 349964

  • Title: VATICAN/ITALY: FOOTBALL/ SOCCER: Pope greets soccer players ahead of Match for Peace
  • Date: 1st September 2014
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 1, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ARRIVING AT OLYMPIC STADIUM AHEAD OF MATCH MEDIA IN PRESS ROOM AT STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER ARGENTINA SOCCER PLAYER AND ORGANISER OF MATCH, JAVIER ZANETTI, SAYING: "I think it's very important at this moment because the main message of the Pope for this game is world peace. And I think we need something like this
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Religion,Religion,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2SEG5G61FFXHYCZU1DTFJE0AQ
  • Story Text: A host of current and former soccer stars met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday (September 1) prior to taking part in a Match for Peace, a charity event being played on Monday night in Rome to promote peace and inter-religious co-operation.
    In his address to the participants, Francis said he hoped the match at Rome's Olympic Stadium would help lead to "peaceful co-existence among all people, excluding every discrimination based on race, language or religion".
    "Do you know that discrimination is synonomous with contempt. Discrimination is scornful. In this match of today, you say no to all forms of discrimination," the pope said, adding that religions had a large role to play in bringing peace to the world and that sport, particularly soccer, could be a vehicle for peace.
    Monday night's match, which was based on a suggestion by the pope, includes active and retired players of various religions.
    Former Argentina great Diego Maradona accepted an invitation to attend the match and was visibly moved when he greeted Pope Francis, presenting him with a soccer shirt and giving him a warm hug.
    The 53-year-old, who helped Napoli win two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup during his 1984-91 stint in Italy, was just one of many soccer greats of past and present to take part in the game.
    Others included Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, former Italy striker Roberto Baggio, former French international David Trezeguet of France and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o.
    Pope Francis, a known soccer fan, will not attend the match in person.
    The proceeds will go to Scholas, a project backed by the pope that aims to connect schools and educational networks from different cultures and beliefs from around the world and the Pupi Foundation, started by former Argentine soccer player Javier Zanetti to help poor children in Argentina.
    "I think it's very important at this moment because the main message of the Pope for this game is world peace," said Zanetti before the match.
    Zanetti also said he enjoyed meeting the Pope.
    "The Pope is a wonderful person with a huge heart, very simple and that's why we were all very keen to participate," Zanetti added.
    All players said they were keen to lend their support to the initiative.
    Trezeguet said: "This game has a very important meaning for us, for all of us who came here, players, former players, coaches, co-coaches, it's the first game for Peace, we hope to do our part and give a small contribution to help things in the short term. That's why we wanted to lend a hand in a particular way."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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