If you watched the Milan derby this past weekend, you may have seen this olive tree ceremony before the game.
The Milan derby was the latest game to see the ceremony take place. Photo: @waatp | Twitter
While it may seem bizarre, the olive tree ceremony has an interesting history that involves the world of soccer and Pope Francis, and Milan is not even the first game in which this has happened.
The olive tree was originally planted in the year 2000 by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The ceremony was accompanied by ministers representing all religions and was designated as a symbol for peace in the world.
Pope Francis then gave that olive tree to Lionel Messi and Gigi Buffon in 2013 to sponsor the birth of his charity, Scholas Occurentes, which hopes to spread peace and inclusiveness through education. Pope Francis is a soccer fan, and believes in the power of soccer to unite rather than divide. He also recognizes soccer players' position as role models to the youth of the world, and implored them to use their status wisely.
"Dear players, you are very popular," said the Pope. "People follow you, and not just on the field but also off it. That's a social responsibility."
It's an admirable gesture from the Pope, who has been making headlines for his efforts to breach the dividing lines between religions, classes and race. The Pope recognizes, as do most of us, the global nature of the beautiful game, and its ability to bring people together.
So, that brings us to the San Siro, where the olive tree was presented once again to the captains of both sides, in the hopes that the game we all love can bring peace and unity to the world. More often than not, we are talking about the ugly side of the game: the fights, the controversy and our hatred for a particular player or team. It's interesting, let us not deny it.
We live for the passion and the tribalism of the sport. But it is refreshing to revel in the love of the sport and specifically, the way it brings us together, no matter where we come from. For that, this simple gesture speaks more than any pundit/journalist/manager/player/drunken fan ever could.
