Vatican signs agreement on sports with Italian Ministry for Defense
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican and the Italian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday afternoon signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a plan of cooperation to enhance the values of sports as a “cultural and educational phenomenon.”
The President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, and the Italian Defense Minister, Roberta Pinotti, signed the agreement at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See.
The agreement recognizes the value of sports for civil society, in terms of health, integration of young people from different cultural and geographic backgrounds, and social inclusion.
“The defense world has always had strong bonds with the sports world,” said Minister Pinotti, noting the role played by military athletes in promoting the growth of sport in Italy in general. She also mentioned the role played by the military in establishing sports for those with disabilities.
The agreement calls on the Defense Ministry and the Pontifical Council for Culture to collaborate in the use of facilities and personnel for joint initiatives aimed at promoting and preserving the true nature of sport, which focuses on the value of the human person.