Cricket is a sport that is enjoyed on a subcontinental level. In many of the smaller countries, it is the national pastime. In other countries, it may not be the national sport, but it certainly has the same loyal following. Practically every country in the world participates in this sport at least to some degree and now the Vatican has joined the mix!
Cricket In The Vatican
In a surprising turn of events, not only did the Vatican form their own cricket club, which was named the St. Peter’s Cricket Club, but the team went on to challenge the Church of England’s cricket club to a match at Lord’s. It’s a holy cricket match that will surely catch the eye of the entire world. Officials are absolutely ecstatic at how popular the sport is and the response that they are getting.
The original idea to form a Vatican sponsored cricket club was pretty simple. They wanted to give their priests, as well as seminarians, an alternative option for any sporting desires. In addition to that, it gives the Vatican an opportunity to communicate to the world in a different way. In essence, it is a new way to engage with the other religious denominations of the world. Even though Pope Francis prefers football, it’s only a matter of time before he gets behind the idea.
The Vatican’s match with the Church of England and possible future matches will be scheduled around September of every year. The reason for this is that this is a time of holiday for the seminarians. It will give everyone the opportunity to participate in the event.
Further initiatives are happening around the world as different religious denominations are forming their own cricket clubs. Everyone is seeing the potential here to create a type of sporting diplomacy. What all of the church officials hope for is that this sport can actually help to unite the different religions by using the sport of cricket as the binding force.