World Cup chapels’ Red Card is rescinded

-29/06/06

They were given a red card and clo


World Cup chapels’ Red Card is rescinded

-29/06/06

They were given a red card and closed by world soccer’s governing body, but chapels for players seeking Christian spiritual support during the World Cup in Germany have now reopened after protests from churches ñ writes Frauke Brauns for Ecumenical News International.

The chapels opened in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup but were closed by FIFA (the Federation of International Football Associations) before the 9 June kickoff to the world’s largest sports extravaganza, on security grounds and out of respect for the beliefs of players of other religions (and none).

“FIFA did not want to hurt the religious feelings of people of other faiths,” Gerd Graus, the spokesperson of the World Cup organizing committee told the Protestant news agency epd in Berlin.

But Germany’s top Protestant bishop, Wolfgang Huber, responded that “no one of another faith is hurt or excluded by a Christian place of prayer”, and following the church intervention, the two chapels at the stadiums in Berlin and in Gelsenkirchen near Dortmund have reopened for team players.

“We asked FIFA not to overact about the chapels,” Bernhard Felmberg, the sports liaison officer for the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg told Ecumenical News International.

Meanwhile, parishes throughout Germany are offering multi-lingual pastoral care to the hundreds of thousands of fans of all nationalities who are following their favourite teams.

In Berlin, meditations are held at half-time in two of the city’s biggest churches, the Berlin Cathedral, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

That will make 63 half-time meditations, Felmberg noted, by the time the final whistle is blown on 9 July 2006.

With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.

[Also on Ekklesia: Football teaches non-violence to Colombian street children 19/06/06; Worrying new Anglican dispute about David Beckham 19/06/06; Holy-in-one golf diversion from World Cup 15/06/06; World cup anti-poverty advert is banned 11/06/06; Football gives faith communities a common goal 10/06/06; Soccer fans and foes asked to Give Injustice the Red Card 09/06/06; Give injustice the red card Jun 9, 2006 An alternative World Cup guide for those with global vision; German churches to be peacemakers during World Cup, by Fran race; Fairtrade football – fair trade football gift ideas; Christians and Muslims score a goal against soccer racism; Will Baptist soccer bosses teach England’s Sven about crosses?; World Cup proves a football blessing to Iran; Hallowed be thy game]


World Cup chapels’ Red Card is rescinded

-29/06/06

They were given a red card and closed by world soccer’s governing body, but chapels for players seeking Christian spiritual support during the World Cup in Germany have now reopened after protests from churches ñ writes Frauke Brauns for Ecumenical News International.

The chapels opened in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup but were closed by FIFA (the Federation of International Football Associations) before the 9 June kickoff to the world’s largest sports extravaganza, on security grounds and out of respect for the beliefs of players of other religions (and none).

“FIFA did not want to hurt the religious feelings of people of other faiths,” Gerd Graus, the spokesperson of the World Cup organizing committee told the Protestant news agency epd in Berlin.

But Germany’s top Protestant bishop, Wolfgang Huber, responded that “no one of another faith is hurt or excluded by a Christian place of prayer”, and following the church intervention, the two chapels at the stadiums in Berlin and in Gelsenkirchen near Dortmund have reopened for team players.

“We asked FIFA not to overact about the chapels,” Bernhard Felmberg, the sports liaison officer for the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg told Ecumenical News International.

Meanwhile, parishes throughout Germany are offering multi-lingual pastoral care to the hundreds of thousands of fans of all nationalities who are following their favourite teams.

In Berlin, meditations are held at half-time in two of the city’s biggest churches, the Berlin Cathedral, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

That will make 63 half-time meditations, Felmberg noted, by the time the final whistle is blown on 9 July 2006.

With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.

[Also on Ekklesia: Football teaches non-violence to Colombian street children 19/06/06; Worrying new Anglican dispute about David Beckham 19/06/06; Holy-in-one golf diversion from World Cup 15/06/06; World cup anti-poverty advert is banned 11/06/06; Football gives faith communities a common goal 10/06/06; Soccer fans and foes asked to Give Injustice the Red Card 09/06/06; Give injustice the red card Jun 9, 2006 An alternative World Cup guide for those with global vision; German churches to be peacemakers during World Cup, by Fran race; Fairtrade football – fair trade football gift ideas; Christians and Muslims score a goal against soccer racism; Will Baptist soccer bosses teach England’s Sven about crosses?; World Cup proves a football blessing to Iran; Hallowed be thy game]