Patriarch Daniel: Sport is essential to the integral development of children and young people

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel highlighted the role of sport in the physical, educational and spiritual development of children and young people on Monday, saying that discipline, perseverance, teamwork and friendship gained through sporting activities are more valuable than material prizes. The Patriarch of Romania made the remarks in a message to participants in the Fair Play and Communion: My Family, My First Team competition, held between July and September in 117 socio-educational centres across the country as part of the Romanian Patriarchate’s St Elijah the Tishbite Youth Activities Centre project. The message was delivered at an awards ceremony at the Palace of the Patriarchate on Monday, where the winning children received bicycles. Patriarch Daniel linked the virtues cultivated through sport with Christian spiritual life, recalling St Paul’s use of athletic imagery to describe the discipline and perseverance required of Christians. Please find below the full text of Patriarch Daniel’s message: Sport, an essential component in the integral development of children and young people Today, we have the joy of presenting awards to the winners of the themed competition Fair Play and Communion: My Family, My First Team, held from July to September 2026 in the 117 socio-educational centres participating in the national project St Elijah the Tishbite Youth Activities Centre. This competition is a concrete way in which the Church supports sport among children and young people as part of the integral development of the human person. Sport disciplines the body, trains the will, and cultivates teamwork, perseverance and patience. These virtues prepare children both for Christian life in community and for adult life in society. Today’s festive event at the Palace of the Patriarchate is also an opportunity for communion among children, parents, priests, and activity coordinators from local centres throughout the country, in the context of the Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of the Christian Family . This communion expresses the Church’s constant care as it blesses and assists the Christian family, providing pastoral guidance and spiritual support throughout every stage of life. Dear children, The sporting activities you participated in during the workshops are not merely physical activities; they also have an educational dimension. Sustained effort, discipline and perseverance, cultivated through sport, are valued in the writings of the New Testament. They find a spiritual resonance in the epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul, who sometimes draws upon the language and imagery of sport in the Greco-Roman world. The most relevant passage in this regard is found in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 24–25 , where the Holy Apostle Paul uses the image of running in a stadium and competing for a prize to speak about the discipline and self-restraint required in Christian life and for spiritual gain: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. They do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” Thus, the Apostle Paul uses terminology drawn from sport to emphasise that the spiritual life likewise requires constant effort, spiritual discipline and perseverance to the end, while God ultimately grants the crown of reward to those who actively and steadfastly cultivate their faith. As the Holy Apostle Paul teaches us, running requires effort, patience and discipline — virtues that you, too, have acquired as you competed, completed the courses in the competition and emerged victorious. Now the time has come for you to receive your awards. The prizes we are giving you — bicycles — have a particular symbolism. Considering that some skills learned in childhood, such as riding a bicycle, are never forgotten, we would be pleased if you came to understand that the experience you have gained through this competition — discipline, seriousness, concentration, team spirit and friendship — is even more important than the material prize you are receiving today. We congratulate the socio-educational instructors, both clergy and laypeople, for their sustained efforts in carrying out the project’s activities. We are also pleased to see that many of the 117 parishes are supporting this project of the Romanian Patriarchate, with their local communities providing consistent assistance for activities involving children. We pray that God, through the intercessions of the Holy Prophet Elijah the Tishbite, will bless all the children, their parents and everyone involved in the project’s activities, so that they may continue this educational and sporting work, which helps strengthen the will and improve the health of children and young people. † Daniel Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Photo credit: BASILICA archive / Raluca Ene