Football & Catholicism: Msgr. Mutsaerts' February Letter

On Jongkatholiek.nl you can find the latest letter from Mgr. in the ‘Smaakmaker’ section. Rob Mutsaerts to read. Mgr. Mutsaerts focuses on youth on behalf of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference and he regularly writes personal letters to young people. In February 2026, he takes a closer look at the sports world and finds that some sports are very Catholic and others are not…

‘What makes a sport “Catholic”? Catholicism is, roughly speaking, a religion of: rituals, community, symbolism, drama, sin, guilt and redemption and above all: the possibility of comeback. Anyone who has ever seen a football match will immediately recognize this. Commentators and sports journalists (whether they are Catholic, Protestant or purely ‘pagan’) speak of a football cathedral (the stadium), high mass (top match), chants (mainly curse psalms), the infallibility of the VAR (assistant referee) and the fallen striker who finds favor with the trainer again (and who in some cases is even referred to as the messiah of the club). Football does not believe in merit, but in grace. That makes football Catholic.’

And why some sports seem to be more ‘Protestant’, you can read here, in the complete letter.