The Swiss Churches too will play at the next European Football Championship due to take place in Austria an Switzerland from 7 to 29 June. But more than a match it will be an ecumenical meeting of prayer due to take place on May 25 in Zurich at the Cathedral of Grossmünster, where people from different ethnic origins will meet and pray together for the championship to be peacefully held in a friendly climate and for the hundreds of volunteers who will help make sure this happens. "Church 08 on the line for 2008 years" is the slogan chosen for the occasion. The celebration will be chaired by the delegates of the Federation of the Evangelical churches of Switzerland (Sek), Christoph Sigrist, and the Swiss Bishops Conference (Sbk), Stefan Roth. The Minister of Sports, Samuel Schmid, will be a guest. And, two days later, on May 27 at 7.30 pm, the "FC Religionen" team, composed of rabbis, priests and imams, will play a match in Berne against "FC Nationalrat", a team of Swiss MPs. The former president of the Swiss Federal Council, Adolf Ogi, should give a speech on "Football as a peacemaker". The evening will be opened by Thomas Wipf, president of the Swiss Council of religions and president of the Council of Sek.
