Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the archbishop of Algiers, Algeria, said running is for him a \u201cschool of prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n
On March 23, thousands of athletes raced through the streets of Rome in the annual Rome Marathon. One of them, wearing the white habit of a Dominican friar under his jersey, was the Franco-Algerian Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, OP \u2014 the first cardinal to participate in the 44-year history of the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I was a child, I have been running,\u201d Vesco told EWTN News. \u201cI love running and I have already run several marathons, like the New York Marathon 37 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a homily during Mass for participants of the Rome Marathon on March 21, the cardinal said competition teaches about the fragility of the human body and how this can be a \u201cschool of prayer\u201d and of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt some point in the race, our strength will fail, and we will have to take a leap of faith, going beyond our own strength. This is difficult. But it is precisely at this point that we can search deeper within ourselves for meaning, and perhaps it will be a moment of prayer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The cardinal\u2019s personal hero: A Muslim fellow runner<\/p>\n
The cardinal completed the Rome Marathon with his longtime friend, Khaled Boudaoui. An Algerian Muslim, Boudaoui competed in the Rome Marathon last year and was awarded the trophy \u201cLa Coppa degli Ultimi\u201d by the Vatican to recognize those who were \u201cwitnesses to hope\u201d during the race.<\/p>\n
Khaled was recently diagnosed with a tumor and began chemotherapy only 25 days before competing this year in Rome. Vesco praised his friend, saying his courage inspired him to run another public marathon.<\/p>\n
\u201cKhaled is my hero. He is sick, and we wanted to race and cross the finish line hand in hand. A marathon is beautiful because it\u2019s a bit like life. In a marathon, we don\u2019t run against each other but with each other \u2014 a race of brotherhood,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Khaled added in turn: \u201cIt was very difficult for me to run after starting chemotherapy. But I ran today thanks to my friend, Jean-Paul. I ran to show others, who may be going through similar illnesses, that they too can run. We ran to build bridges.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Catholic presence at the marathon inspired by Pope Francis<\/p>\n
Vesco\u2019s participation in the marathon was a highlight for Catholics already competing in the race. The Vatican\u2019s sports team, Athletica Vaticana, has competed in the marathon since 2019, having been encouraged by Pope Francis. Giampaolo Mattei, president of Athletica Vaticana, described Francis\u2019 impact on their mission of sports and service to others.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were inspired by Pope Francis\u2019 example of inclusion,\u201d Mattei said to EWTN News, recalling that the late pope asked them to include migrants in their team. \u201cIn our sports team, we are not looking for just Catholics. We look for core values \u2014 being together, community, and attention to the disabled and the poor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLa Coppa degli Ultimi\u201d (\u201cthe Cup of the Last\u201d) is one of several spiritual initiatives promoted by Athletica Vaticana. Another initiative was a prayer box for the participants, into which runners of all faiths were invited to place written prayer intentions before competing.<\/p>\n
Valentina Giacometti, vice president of Athletica Vaticana, explained the initiative: \u201cOn the day before the race, we invited all runners to submit prayer intentions. Each card began with the phrase \u2018I ran for,\u2019 and we offered all of these intentions to the Lord during the Mass with Cardinal Vesco.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another noteworthy initiative of Athletica Vaticana is its service to Rome\u2019s poor. After the race, the members of Athletica Vaticana and other volunteers go to Rome\u2019s central train station, Roma Termini, to serve food to the homeless. Sister Mari\u00e9-Theo Puybareau Manaud, who competed in the race, described it as a way of expressing universal fraternity as taught by Pope Francis.<\/p>\n
\u201cService to the poor might seem disconnected to the idea of running. But I believe that connection is precisely that of universal brotherhood \u2014 \u2018fratelli tutti,\u2019\u201d she said, alluding to the 2020 encyclical by Pope Francis. \u201cIn this race, we are not competitors but brothers. Sport and service together make up a movement of life, especially alongside the poorest, for whom we can offer hope.\u201dCorrection: An earlier version of this story misspelled Athletica Vaticana. (Published March 25, 2026)<\/p>\n
Denne artikel blev oprindeligt udgivet af EWTN News English.<\/p>\n