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The global Catholic Church and its prominent members have been active advocates and participants in the Olympic Games

It is well known that the modern Olympic Games were revived by a Frenchman, Coubertin, who was born in a noble French family and was a devout Catholic. The man who made the greatest contribution to the Olympic movement after Coubertin, Mr. Samaranch, was also a devout and determined Catholic. Born in a wealthy Catholic noble family in Barcelona, Spain, Mr. Samaranch spent all his life actively spreading the Olympic Movement to the world and opposing political interference in sport. Let the people of the world come together under the five rings, so that freedom and peace in the world will no longer be a dream. Mr. Samaranch was an important witness and participant in the rise of sports in China. The Olympic spirit that continues to be passed on in China is the best proof of his dual identity as President of the IOC and a Catholic and his friendship with the Chinese people. Samaranch once said, “I have won many honors in my life, but what I cherish most is the title of good friend of the Chinese people”. As Covid-19 continues to ravage the world, and in the face of major challenges in the global economic and humanistic exchanges, the Chinese government and its people have made great efforts to prepare for the Winter Olympics games with a view to bringing together people of different races, nations and faiths around the world in the name of sports. I believe that Saon must be praying for Beijing and for the Winter Olympics in heaven.

Indeed, religious beliefs and sports, even if expressed in different ways, are both “the driving force of global society and can promote positive values”. The religious origins of sports suggest that primitive people resorted to natural gifts and worshiped in the form of sports activities. For example, in ancient Greece, people shaped the bodies of gods according to their will. And the gods were made to take on a human form. Whether it is wedding, funeral ceremonies or sacrifices to the gods, there are athletic performances in which people pleased the gods with their beautiful bodies and great strength. At that time, there were four athletic congresses of an all-Greek nature, each of which was associated with religious rituals. One of them, the Olympic Games was dedicated to Zeus, the head of the gods. It was not until 394 AD, when the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I established Christianity as the state religion, that the Olympic Games were abolished because they were considered a pagan event. While in the East, traditional sports were born directly from the Buddhist Shaolin Kung Fu and Taoist Wudang Kung Fu. Japanese sumo wrestling still retains strong primitive religious rituals, such as sprinkling salt on an earthen mount to ward off evil spirits and praying to the gods for protection. Japanese kendo practice also has a whole set of rituals to pay homage to the gods. The contribution of religious activities and religious culture can be found in the formation of traditional sports of the Tibetan and Zhuang peoples in China, as well as many local folk sports.

The missionary activities of the Western Catholic Church were an important factor in promoting the emergence and development of modern school sports. The Catholic Church is committed to promoting and popularizing sports worldwide, using sports as a tool to implement European civilization and Catholic doctrine in Asia, Africa and other regions. By fostering sound sportsmanship and sports morality on the playground, the Catholic Church objectively plays an active role in promoting the internationalization of modern physical education.

The modern Olympic movement’s call to “Love Peace” is at the heart of the Catholic faith, which is why the Popes have given their greatest blessing to the opening of each Olympic Games. The current Pope Francis has two recent public speeches about the Olympic Games: “Victory brings you great excitement, but failure has its wonders. Failure is the mother of success, because in the experience of failure, the desire to continue the journey is opened.” (Quoted from La Gazzetta dello Sport). “Sport is an ecumenical language that can transcend cultural, social, religious and physical differences, uniting people in the same event and being the protagonists of victory and defeat.”

This shows the historic contribution of the Catholic Church and its illustrious members to the promotion of the integration of the Olympic Movement throughout the world. The Catholic Church worldwide is united in following what the Pope has said and in praying for the Beijing Winter Olympics, an event for all humanity.

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