The Vatican has invited some of the world's most famous soccer players to participate in a soccer match aimed at uniting people of different religions. Proceeds from the match will be donated to charity. The match involves international players and coaches such as Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Buffon, Zinedine Zidane, Javier Zanetti, Roberto Baggio, Andrea Pirlo, Yuto Nagatomo and Samuel Eto'o who represent different religions.
The match was organized to celebrate sporting excellence and fraternity as a symbolic gesture of peace in the world as well as to fundraise for charity.
The idea for the match developed during a private audience at the Vatican last year between Pope Francis and Inter Milan Captain Javier Zanetti.
Here we are, Lord, at the World Cup - Brazil 2014
The National Liturgical Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Chile prepared the following prayer to be said in all churches before and during the recent World Cup Matches in Brazil.
Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer and Saviour,
You embrace with open arms at this event
the men and women who have come from all over the world
to meet up as brothers and sisters.
You offer us something much bigger than the World Cup:
A fruitful and happy life.
We ask You in these days of the World Cup,
that You teach us to be Your disciples, to follow You all our lives and to play in Your team.
And so to be able to live with fraternal love, to know how to listen, to understand, to pardon, to welcome, to help others without exclusion or discrimination,
Therefore to train and stay in shape in order to face life with faith and happiness,
and to play the game forward as protagonists of history and builders of a better world.
We pray that in these days, violence and discord will cease,
and dialogue and respect will grow.
We pray that our players and supporters who travel to Brazil,
will turn out to be free from becoming disheartened and despondent,
free from injustice and from egoism.
You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen
Read more from The Far East, September 2014