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 The Church of England on Friday formally took up the Vatican's
challenge to settle scores on the cricket pitch nearly 500 years
after the two Churches split.
Last October, the Vatican formed the St. Peter's Cricket Club, a
league composed of teams of priests and seminarians from Catholic
colleges and seminaries in Rome.
The best players will form a Vatican team, called the "Vatican XI,"
and challenged the Church of England to form its own team of
Anglican priests and seminarians to play in London at Lord's, the
home of cricket.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the 80 million strong
worldwide Anglican communion, accepted through his representative to
the Vatican, Archbishop David Moxon.
Moxon said plans were for the match to be held at Lord's in
September after the Anglican side puts together a similar team of
amateurs from Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, and nearby theological schools.
Father Eamonn O'Higgins, a priest who is organizing the Vatican
side, gave Moxon the ball that will be used in the match.
Moxon took a dig at Australia, who thrashed England 3-0 to win back
the Ashes trophy earlier this week.
"He (the Archbishop of Canterbury) also wanted me to say quite
emphatically that in receiving this challenge he has actually
forgiven the Australian cricket team," Moxon said.
The Vatican team will be made up of seminarians and priests in Rome
from countries with a cricket tradition — India, Pakistan,
Australia, England, Bangladesh and New Zealand.
ECUMENICAL SPORTS
Asked if a combination of sports diplomacy and inter-religious
dialogue could help improve relations between the two Churches,
which split in 1534 when King Henry VIII broke with Rome, Moxon
said: "It will introduce a conversation piece all over the world
whenever Catholics and Anglicans get together," he said.
"I think it can only do good and increase the bonds of affection we
have for each other."
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The Vatican side will be coached by Brother K.M. Joseph, an Indian
who trained a number of future test players while they were at
schools run by his religious order in India.
The Vatican team will wear the official colors of the tiny
city-state — yellow and white — and their jackets will have the seal
of the papacy, two crossed keys.
By all accounts Pope Francis is not much of a cricket man. He still
supports the San Lorenzo football club of his native Buenos Aires,
who came to Rome this week to give him the league trophy they won
last Sunday.
"But I think this is something that goes in line with one of the
objectives of Pope Francis, which is to reach out and not stay
within our own security zone," said O'Higgins.
The idea for a Catholic cricket club was the brainchild of John
McCarthy, Australia's ambassador to the Vatican. He wanted to see
something similar to the Clericus Cup, a soccer tournament among the
religious colleges and seminaries of Rome.
Most of the practice for the Vatican team will take place on the
grounds of seminaries in Rome, but McCarthy, a cricket fanatic, said
he had a dream.
"I would suggest that at least on one occasion there would be
batting practice in front of St Peter's Basilica."
When a reporter suggested that, given the historical baggage both
Churches are carrying, the umpire should perhaps be a Muslim, a Jew
or even a atheist, Moxon laughed and said: "As long as he is fair."
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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