"The Supreme Pontiff sends a warm welcome to the authorities, the organisers, the directors, the athletes and all those who have come to the Franchi Stadium in Florence for the friendly football match between Italy and Germany, and expresses his satisfaction for the initiatives that have been carried out on this occasion against racial discrimination, to strengthen awareness of the important educational role of sports, which is at the service of solidarity and peace". This is the beginning of the message written by card. Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State of the Vatican City, which will be read tonight, just before the beginning of the Italy-Germany football match in Florence. "His Holiness reads on the message encourages joint efforts to promote the civilisation of love through patient dialogue and mutual respect in every area of society, and, while he invokes God’s help in these proposals and plans for the common good, it is with great pleasure that he gives his apostolic blessing to all those who have come to this significant event". It will be the auxiliary bishop of Florence, mgr. Claudio Maniaco, who will read the Pope’s message against racial discrimination, in favour of the spreading of the educational role of sports. The message concerns the initiatives that the Italian Football Association has put in place to fight expressions of racism in stadiums.
