“Use football to help people, especially the poor,” FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter was told by Pope Francis when granted a private audience at the Vatican last week.
- FIFA President Sepp Blatter (left) and Pope Francis (right)
“The Holy Father personally asked me to emphasize the role that football can play in educating young people, and also in promoting world peace. We both love football, and of course we talked about football too. We are fully aware of our responsibility and know that we can bring people together and make the world a better place through our activities.
“The Pope firmly believes that football can play a key role in that,” said the FIFA President after the audience.
“It was a wonderful moment for me. I had butterflies in my stomach before the audience. I not only met the Catholic Church’s highest representative, but above all a man who exudes an incredible aura of calmness and dignity. I will forever cherish my memories of this meeting,” Blatter added.
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.