Catholic Sports Ministry
"The Church feels close to the world of sport, because she sees games and sporting activities as a place of personal encounter for people, a formation in virtue and fraternity. For this reason, sports find a home in the Church." Pope Francis (Sept 30, 2022)
The Catholic Church engages the lived experience of sports through ministry, encounter, and evangelization. "The Church approaches the world of sports because it desires to contribute to the construction of an increasingly authentic, humane sport," notes the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life (Giving the Best of Yourself, 2018). This page contains resources for U.S. Catholics and faith leaders in navigating the issue of sports, in particular how they intersect with the work of the Church.
International Conference on Sport and Spirituality
In May 2024, the Vatican convened representatives from around the world to discuss sports and spirituality. Pope Francis noted in his remarks for the event that "the Church recognizes her need to be pastorally present in the world of sport and wishes to promote an education in the genuine values of athletic competition, purified of forms of egotism and purely material concerns" (Message to Conference Participants, 2024). Bishop John Barres of Rockville Centre (New York) served as the U.S. representative at this gathering. Resources from that gathering can be found online at this USCCB resource page.
The 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games
As the world gathers in Paris, France, for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Catholic Church is engaged in various ways in this quadrennial international sports experience. The Church across France has been engaged in the "Holy Games" (see here for the English and French pages). Various news articles have been posted about the connection of the Church and the Olympics and Paralympics: from Religion News, LaCroix, and National Catholic Register. It should be noted that these are external news sites and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USCCB.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Sports have had a connection to the Catholic Church for centuries. Even Saint Paul in the first century used the example of sports in his explanation of a lifetime commitment to Christ saying, "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith" (2 Tim 4:7). Today, the Vatican has also developed additional resources for helping Catholics make the sports-and-faith connection.
Vatican Sports Ministry Page (hosted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education)
Magisterial Documents on Sports (curated by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life)
Sport for All: Vatican Declaration on Sport (released by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life)
Giving the Best of Yourself: Document on the Christian Perspective on Sport and the Human Person (developed by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life)
Sport at the Service of Humanity Conference (prepared by the Dicastery for Culture)
Vatican Document on Coaching (developed by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life)
For more information about the USCCB and its work with sports ministries, please contact the USCCB Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth at laity@usccb.org.