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Pope Francis met Wednesday with professional soccer players from the Celtic Football Club, a team founded by an Irish Catholic religious brother.
Three pilgrims have already left Kraków, Poland, and another 17 have left Troyes, France, to head to Portugal, where they will participate in World Youth Day 2023 from Aug. 1–6 in Lisbon.
The papal team includes Swiss Guards and migrants.
Pope Francis described basketball on Monday as “a sport that lifts you up to the heavens.”
Pope Francis said on Friday that participation in sports can help people to grow in holiness, stressing the importance of teamwork.
Pope Francis met with five NBA players at the Vatican Monday to discuss their efforts to combat social and economic injustice in the United States.
The Vatican is publishing a new book collecting Pope Francis’ notable speeches to athletes of all kinds, and which includes the testimonies of three professional athletes.