The Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry hosted an online, national sports consultation on February 28, 2023.
The consultation featured a keynote address from Santiago Pérez de Camino, head of the Church and Sport Office in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.
Dr Pérez de Camino provided an overview of the Vatican’s 2018 document on the Christian perspective on sport and the human person, titled ‘Giving the best of yourself’. He also shared insights from the 2022 Vatican conference ‘Sport for All’.
The consultation included input from two Australian sports ministry leaders – the National Centre for Pastoral Research’s Stephen Reid, who recently completed a doctoral thesis on sports chaplaincy; and Helene O’Neill, family ministry coordinator for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, a sports chaplain and former ABC sports commentator.
Banner image: Diocese of Parramatta - CYP LIFTED Sports Day 2021.
Relevant Resources:
- ‘Giving the best of yourself’: A document about the Christian perspective on sport and the human person
- ‘Sport for All’ 2022 Vatican conference on sports
- Social Justice Statement 2014-15: A Crown for Australia: Striving for the Best in Our Sporting Nation
- Sport can open the way to Christ
- Bringing faith to the playing field