a choice football women’s national… between Vatican. Mauro Gambetti, Italian cardinal and abbot of St. Peter’s Basilica, had an idea last week. Interviewed during a party for the Catholic newspaper ‘Avvenire’ in the southern Italian city of Potenza, Gambetti responded to Gabriele Gravina, head of the Italian Federation, who was considering the project.
“There are 55 federations in the European Union and there is San Marino; It might be interesting to have number 56,” said Gravina. ” in the city There is interest in the Vatican, there is enthusiasm”, replied Gambetti. “Maybe it’s easier to get into the women’s national team than the men’s,” the Cardinal added. “But we have to start with the children. it will take a few years They need to put in more effort so that they can grow up and become the Italian national team.”Revolution”.
Some statements that did not go unnoticed by the Vaticanists. Football in the Vatican nothing new, even wrote Iacopo Scaramuzzi, a correspondent for the Italian newspaper ‘La Repubblica’. “Already in 1521 it was controversial first game Osservatore Romano X at the time) and various football teams (Vatican Museums, Swiss Guard, Gendarmerie, …), with their own Vatican Cups and Super Cups,” the informant added.
religion and sport
The fact is that there are even women’s football teams affiliated with the central headquarters of the Catholic Church administration. For example, the Vatican has a women’s team at the children’s hospital Bambin Gesù, and since 2019 they also women’s team Vatican. The latter mainly consists of: employees and their spouses. Despite this, the Vatican has not yet announced how and how much the idea of the national team will be implemented. And it may not be that simple, because citizens with Vatican passport they do not reach a thousand and the majority men.
Moreover, the mix between the sacred and the mundane did not always have happy endings. For example, in 2019, a match between the Vatican team led by Eugene Tcheugoue from Cameroon and local rivals was cancelled. in Vienna. After the players women’s team FC Mariahilf They will appear in t-shirts with phrases supporting the abortion and LGBTI community, which caused the anger of Vatican football players.
Cycling, taekwondo and cricket
Football is not the only sport involving women affiliated with the Vatican. These teams also have a presence. International Cycling UnionWorld Taekwondo and International Sports Federation spade. Finally, last January, Vatican Athletics historic team cricketVatican St. Peter’s Cricket Club.
In fact, in this case too, this sport was practiced in Rome 50 years ago by theologians from Australia and the United Kingdom. The novelty is that now people have joined Asia, especially from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. In previous years, Vatican teams also played against. a muslim teamand another mixed team of British players from the Jewish, Muslim and Sikh religions. A team, this is organizing for an organization these days. “sports pilgrim” in Spain.