Pope: Sport can instill discipline and perseverance for spiritual life

By Devin Watkins

In a meeting with the managers and athletes of the Italian Modern Pentathlon Federation on Friday, Pope Francis spoke about the enduring value of sport as a path to personal improvement.

He noted that the modern pentathlon, which includes fencing, shooting, swimming, running and horseback riding, has its roots in ancient Greece.

The pentathlete, he said, must excel in these five very different sports, which requires a versatility that encourages the development of body and mind.

Educational value of sport

Noting this “polyhedral” nature of the pentathlon, Pope Francis praised the educational nature of the sport, since the pentathlete is a person – not a robot – who must perform complex physical operations.

“Therein lies its educational value,” he said, “because in life we ​​are called to act and act out different dimensions of ourselves depending on context, relationships, and the precise moment.”

He said the athlete – and indeed every human being – must be molded holistically with “resolute unity, a solid core and great integrity, and the ability to change and adapt.”

In other words, he said, our lives require “stability in versatility.”

Mental and physical improvement

Pope Francis thanked the Italian pentathletes for providing a living example of diverse personal unity.

The Pope noted that this path to improvement comes with spiritual discipline and improvement as we better understand the meaning of life, ourselves and our relationships.

Generous, giving heart

In conclusion, Pope Francis recalled that a generous heart, symbolically, is at the center of the human person.

And he thanked the Italian pentathletes for their efforts to help others through “concrete acts of solidarity”, including their support of the Vatican Children’s Hospital Bambino Gesu.

“This is the more demanding race,” he said, “but the prize fills our lives and lasts forever.”