More Than a Game
How Soccer and the Salesians Shaped Pope Francis
by
Bastin Nellissery
(ANS – New Delhi – May 2, 2025) – From his earliest days in the
working-class neighborhood of Flores in Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio found
joy in the simplest things: a soccer ball, a few friends, and a dusty patch of
ground. He was never the strongest or the fastest on the field, but with a ball
at his feet, he felt free, alive, and connected.
For
him, soccer was never just a sport—it was a school of life. It taught teamwork,
humility, discipline, and the ability to celebrate with others and suffer
gracefully. More important, it offered a powerful antidote to the loneliness of
modern life. “We live today in a time when it’s easy to cut ourselves off,”
Pope Francis once reflected. “We create links that are virtual,
remote—theoretically in contact, but practically alone.”
He
believed a soccer ball was not just equipment on a field but an instrument of
communion. It invited real people to meet in real spaces, to interact freely,
and to form true bonds through face-to-face encounters. Whether on a playground
or in a parish yard, it created moments of authentic, joyful presence.
This
emphasis on being with young people—playing, laughing, growing together—lay at
the heart of the Salesian style that deeply shaped him. Pope Francis often
quoted St. John Bosco, who once told his students: “You want children? Throw a
ball into the air and before it hits the ground just see how many will have
turned up!”
That
saying had proven true in 1841 when Don Bosco founded the his oratory in Turin.
It remained just as true in the mid-20th century on the street corners of
Buenos Aires. Don Bosco’s pastoral genius lay in his joyful, affectionate
presence among the young. He believed in meeting them where they were—through
play, conversation, and gentle guidance—and accompanying them toward growth in
faith and character.
This
approach profoundly influenced Bergoglio. It was not doctrine alone that moved
him, but presence—the ability to walk with the young, listen, laugh, and lead
them subtly toward God through love and familiarity.
It
is no surprise, then, that his favorite soccer club was San Lorenzo de Almagro,
founded in 1908 by a Salesian priest, Fr. Lorenzo Massa, who saw a group of
boys playing in the streets and invited them to play safely on church grounds.
He only requested they attend Mass and grow together in sportsmanship and
spirit.
San
Lorenzo adopted the colors blue and red, representing Mary, Help of Christians,
the Salesian patroness. Rival fans nicknamed the club’s fans Cuervos (Crows),
teasing the black cassocks worn by the Salesians. But the name was embraced
proudly, symbolizing a legacy of faith, dignity, and joyful service.
Through
soccer, Pope Francis learned early lessons in compassion, camaraderie, and
community—the same values he would carry into his priesthood and, later, into
the papacy. He never saw soccer as separate from his faith. Instead, it was a
living parable of unity, inclusion, and joy.
The
Salesian way is to be truly present with others, especially the young. And in
every goal scored, every game played, and every child welcomed through sport,
Pope Francis saw the face of Christ smiling back.
Source:
Hope, the autobiography of Pope Francis
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