Friar Antonio Carrón: “Sport opens paths for encounter and dialogue”

Friar Antonio Carrón explains on Mediodía COPE how Athletica Vaticana brings the values of the Gospel to the Mediterranean Games. The Holy See is officially taking part in the Mediterranean Games, held in Taranto, in southern Italy, through Athletica Vaticana. The Vatican delegation is made up of four athletes competing in padel, fencing, and cycling, within an event that brings together more than 4,000 athletes from 26 countries.

In an interview with Ángela Sánchez on Mediodía COPE, a media outlet of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Friar Antonio Carrón, an Augustinian Recollect, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a member of Athletica Vaticana, explained that the presence of the Holy See goes far beyond sporting results.

As Friar Antonio noted, the purpose of the association is to make the Church present in sport, share the Pope’s message, and convey the values of the Gospel from a shared enthusiasm. Participation in the Mediterranean Games has made it possible to offer a witness of camaraderie, closeness, and fraternity among athletes from different backgrounds.

A community born around sport

Athletica Vaticana was founded in 2018 from a group of people linked to the Holy See who regularly met at popular road races in Rome. Those spontaneous encounters shaped a project that now has the support of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

To join the association, it is necessary to hold Vatican citizenship, work in an institution of the Holy See, or maintain a direct link with it. This requirement has given rise to an especially diverse team, made up of Swiss Guards, priests, religious sisters, workers, diplomats, and members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Carrón highlighted precisely the richness of sharing training sessions and competitions with people of different vocations, responsibilities, and countries.

This diversity makes the team a small representation of the universality of the Church: different people who find in sport a common space in which to live together, get to know one another, and walk together.

Witness, dialogue, and prayer

Athletica Vaticana’s yellow jersey often arouses curiosity among race participants, for its yellow that represents the colors of the Holy See. Friar Antonio recounted that other runners frequently come up to ask what it means to represent the Vatican in sport. Those conversations, he explained, become simple and natural opportunities to begin a dialogue and make the life of the Church known.

The spiritual dimension also accompanies the athletes. Before some important events, such as the Rome Marathon, Athletica Vaticana organizes a celebration of the Eucharist. Its members also pray the marathon runner’s prayer before starting the competition, placing the effort, fellowship, and sporting experience in God’s hands.

Alongside participation in national and international events, the association carries out various charitable initiatives throughout the year in collaboration with Caritas Rome. In this way, sport also becomes a tool of service and closeness to the most vulnerable people.

For the Augustinian Recollect, physical activity also has an important interior dimension. Training, perseverance, and effort help one to encounter oneself, bring order to life, and strengthen other facets of the person. In this sense, sport can become a true path of human and spiritual growth.

The presence of Athletica Vaticana at the Mediterranean Games thus shows a concrete way of proclaiming the Gospel: sharing a passion for sport, building fraternity, and creating spaces of encounter where everyday life unfolds.