Olympics vs evangelisation

“In these troubled times, when world peace is under serious threat, it is my fervent wish that everyone will take this truce to heart, in the hope of resolving conflicts and restoring harmony”, Pope Francis wrote in a message on Friday, 19 July, on the occasion of the Mass of Peace, celebrated in the Madeleine Church in Paris.

The opening ceremony on July 26 showcased more than 10,000 athletes representing 206 nations, with millions of viewers in the French capital.

Marking the occasion, the bells of the Notre Dame Cathedral chimed for the first time since the 2019 fire that nearly destroyed it. Fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai secured Hong Kong’s first gold medal in the women’s individual Épée event, filling the city with excitement on the first day of the Olympic events.

Nonetheless, for the millions of Christians around world, the opening ceremony was a regrettable start.

While the event was widely praised for its beauty, emotion, and overall grandeur, it unfortunately contained scenes of mockery and derision of the Christian faith. Catholics around the world felt offended by the parody of the Last Supper.

The suffering and mockery that Christ endured did not defeat his Church; instead, it has remained steadfast in the face of persecution for more than two millennia. This latest event will also serve to further spread the name of Christ to the entire world, a testament to the enduring strength of the Church.

The Paris Church undertook extensive preparations to effectively incorporate the world’s biggest sporting event into its evangelisation mission. The Archdiocese of Paris and the French Bishops Conference have initiated a project called “Holy Games” to involve young Catholics and others in faith-related activities and leverage the power of sports for evangelisation.

Eight Catholic dioceses in Greater Paris, with more than 70 parishes near Olympic venues, participate in the Holy Games. The Holy Games consists of three programs, each lasting a week — two during the Olympics and the third during the Paralympics. The Holy Games will bring missionaries, Catholics and other spectators together to watch the Olympics and Paralympics, celebrate Mass and engage in fellowship through concerts and various cultural activities.

According to La Croix International, a French Catholic newspaper, the Catholic Church in France sees the Olympics as an opportunity to harness the power of sports to evangelise.

The Catholic Church has a long history of using sports as an evangelical tool. Several popes have played significant roles in promoting the relationship between faith and sports.

Pope St. John Paul II, also known as the “athlete pope,” believed in the power of sports to nurture both physical and spiritual aspects. He established the Office of Church and Sport and used sports as a tool for evangelisation. He organised international sports gatherings and spoke to athletes and sports leaders about the positive impact of sports on the development of the body in service of the spirit.

The biannual sporting celebration of the Olympics should inspire the young people in our educational institutions, parishes and youth groups to engage in sports and recreational activities for the holistic development of the youth who might otherwise become prone to excessive online activities instead of physical exercises.

By Fr Jose Cherukara CMF

Fr Jose is a Claretian full time missionary, based in Hong Kong. He is the Editor of the diocese’s newspaper Sunday Examiner and a member of the advisory board of Christian programming for Radio and Television Hong Kong. Fr hosted the much popular programme Minutes that Matter, for RTHK. Listen to video commentaries by Claretian priests, in Italian and English: https://sundaycommentaries.wordpress.com