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A Catholic football team playing in the Christchurch Christian Soccer League Team History The Shaping of an Institution |
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A Catholic football team playing in the Christchurch Christian Soccer League Team History The Shaping of an Institution |
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The CallEarly in 2001, Brendan Malone and Nigel Middlemiss stumbled across a scrap of paper containing an excerpt from Pope John Paul II's 1990 encyclical letter, Redemptorist Missio. The paper contained only a part of one sentence:"...activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive...". These two faithful Catholics quickly seized upon the opportunity to implement the Pope's call. Undeterred by the fact that they had no idea of the full context of the encyclical, they applied the statement to the subject they had just been discussing, a subject they were convinced was dear to the Holy Father's heart: football. What activity in the Christchurch diocese required fresh enthusiasm
for a new incentive? A new Catholic soccer team, to take part in
the local church football league! What could be a more fitting initiative
as the Catholic Church entered its third millennium?
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The ResponseAfter securing their bishop's permission, Brendan and Nigel immediately set off for Rome to consult with Cardinal Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and coach of the 4th division Trappist football team (the "Silent Strikers") from the monastery at Abbazia delle Tre Fontane. The boys were successful in their bid to secure the backing of the CDF for their proposal, and were therefore able to obtain an audience with His Holiness in order to outline their plan.The Holy Father, while surprised at the Cantabrians' novel interpretation of his encyclical (click here for the full text) was nonetheless encouraged to see their zeal and was more than happy to give his apostolic blessing to the endeavour. He went so far as to loan the team a formal uniform, and even hinted at the possibility of a partial indulgence being available for the players involved. His Holiness stressed the importance of good sportsmanship within the team, as they would be seen as ambassadors of the Church. He suggested that the team could enhance its evangelistic potential if one or two token pagans could be included in the squad. The Holy Father also insisted that the team include at least one of the Church's separated brethren from a Protestant ecclesial community, in order to further ecumenism and understanding within the wider Christian family. The audience finished with the Pope commissioning Brendan and Nigel, and ordered that they be outfitted with their new kit immediately. Overjoyed, the boys headed home to turn the idea into reality. And thus was born the Vatican City Rovers. |
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Disclaimer: Vatican City Rovers is not officially associated with the Vatican or with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (except by virtue of the team members' baptism). The text above is entirely fictional, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely intentional.
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