Hi, what are you looking for?
Washington Roundup: Trump verdict reactions; Alito rejects recusal; FDA abortion drug research asked
The top 10 Catholic cities to visit in America
Stories of conversion, ‘amazing’ encounters mark National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s first 10 days
Experts: Trump’s felony conviction is historic, with potential ramifications for US
Can unionizing help today’s white-collar workers save their jobs from AI?
Real Madrid, Europe’s best soccer team, offers championship trophy to Virgin of Almudena
First visit to Poland led to Iron Curtain’s fall, historians say 45 years after St. John Paul II landmark trip
Church calls for vote in polarized, violent Mexican election
Global charity Mary’s Meals expands school-feeding program to Mozambique
South Africans heed bishops call for massive polls turnout
La procesión del Corpus Christi no es un signo de orgullo sino una invitación, dice el Papa
El Papa Francisco inicia nuevo ciclo de catequesis sobre la relación entre el Espíritu Santo y la Iglesia
Pope recognizes miracle needed for church’s first ‘millennial’ saint
La humildad es la ‘puerta de entrada a todas las virtudes’, dice el Papa
Arzobispo de Quito: Ecuador garantiza la seguridad durante el Congreso Eucarístico Internacional
When does a marriage ‘lack proper form’ in canon law, and can a lay person perform intinction themselves?
If Catholic media doesn’t share Christ’s teachings, who will?
OSV News Showcase | May 31, 2024
‘A recipe for disaster’: The abortion pill and the problem of coercion
Meeting Jesus at midnight or in the wee small hours
Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist
Wildcat
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
“Irena’s Vow,” Heroism in the Face of Evil
Embark with your child on a ‘Catholic Sacraments Adventure’
La procesión del Corpus Christi no es un signo de orgullo sino una invitación, dice el Papa
‘El que acoge a un migrante, acoge a Cristo’, dice el Papa Francisco
El Papa Francisco inicia nuevo ciclo de catequesis sobre la relación entre el Espíritu Santo y la Iglesia
Todo es un don de Dios: Multitudes, conexión y conversión marcan la primera semana de la peregrinación eucarística nacional
La humildad es la ‘puerta de entrada a todas las virtudes’, dice el Papa
By
Published
Flipboard
Reddit
Pinterest
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Email
By Santiago Tedeschi
MADRID (OSV News) — The archbishop of Madrid received unusual guests June 2 as Europe’s best soccer team, Real Madrid, came to the Spanish capital’s St. Mary the Royal of the Almudena Cathedral to offer its championship trophy to Mary.
The players arrived at the cathedral right after returning from London, where they won the Champions League. Real Madrid sealed its 15th European Cup after a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund June 1.
“Mary welcomes this cup and makes it a blessing for you, your families, for the people of Madrid and for all those who value the good sport that helps to make the world a better place,” Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid said.
In a cathedral packed with people, the cardinal stressed that the Catholic Church of Madrid “wants to congratulate you heartily for this cup and for what it means for you and for our city.”
The cardinal congratulated both the team’s players and coaches for their effort. “Sport is a means to express one’s talents, but also to build society,” he said.
“Sport, in fact, teaches us the value of fraternity. Because on the field, the origin, language or culture of a person doesn’t matter. What matters is the commitment and the common goal,” he added.
To all of the Real Madrid players, Cardinal Cobo said that “being champions is a privilege … but it is also a personal and social responsibility, as you can see.”
He said the church “places you with great affection under the mantle … of the Virgin of Almudena, patroness of Madrid that you carry in your hearts. She takes care and, as a good mother, intercedes for her children, believers and nonbelievers. Always from here she blesses and welcomes the prayers and hopes of all those who look to her and of those who search deeply for the profound meaning of life.”
The Almudena Cathedral, as it also is known, is a fairly young cathedral by Spanish standards, its construction began in 1883 and finished over a century later, when it was consecrated by St. John Paul II in 1993. The statue itself is much older, however. The Virgin of Almudena (Virgen de la Almudena) is a medieval statue, believed to have been brought from the Holy Land in the year 38 by St. James (Santiago), the apostle and brother of St. John.
“I don’t know which team Jesus, the son of Mary, the one she shows us in her arms, would belong to,” Cardinal Cobo said. “But surely Jesus also wants to be present and thank us for this cup. He helps us to recognize what is truly important in life.”
As the players and coaches presented their trophy in front of the famous statue of Our Lady, the cardinal stressed that they achieved that “great goal” through “discipline and commitment,” which he called a “crucial message of hope, especially for young people.”
At the end of his speech, Cardinal Cobo asked the whole team to continue playing “good soccer for everyone” under the protection of Mary. “Thank you for playing like this,” he said.
The biggest soccer stars of European football were present, dressed in their formal suits and visibly excited as the trophy was presented to the Virgin as well as when Cardinal Cobo held an official sports T-shirt acknowledging the team’s 15th Champions League title.
Santiago Tedeschi is a journalist of Alfa y Omega. OSV News contributed to this report.
Flipboard
Reddit
Pinterest
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Email
By Karla Fierro DETROIT (OSV News) — Nicole Duque, 23, has always desired to become a mother. She was born and raised in the…
By Linda Reeves MIAMI (OSV News) — Divine intervention may be the only explanation for how two college teammates graduated, ventured off on different…
ROLLING FORK, Miss. (OSV News) — No less than 23 people have been killed after at least one powerful tornado tore through rural Mississippi…
BETHESDA, Md. (OSV News) — Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services has called a decision by a U.S. military…
Copyright ©2023 OSV News / Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
