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[Adam Blade]

BBC

The head of the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has accepted a challenge from the Vatican to play their first ever cricket match.

Priests from the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church are planning to compete - appropriately enough - at Lord's in London next September.

The Vatican cricket club, founded in October, includes priests from Australia, India and Pakistan.

It has also been suggested the umpires might be Muslim or Jewish.

But the feeling is that their faith will not matter - as long as they are fair, the BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome reports. He adds that anything else just wouldn't be cricket.

Accepting the challenge, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he was looking "forward to the possibility that this match may actually raise money for charity", according to Reuters.

He also said he was looking forward "to the togetherness and team sport that is being offered".

Pope Francis is known to be keen on sport, having played basketball as a young man and still supporting his local San Lorenzo football club in Buenos Aires.

 

[Smellycat]

It has also been suggested the umpires might be Muslim or Jewish.

 

[Fireblend]

This is like Space Jam except a lot less exciting.

 

[shadyspace]

Go Caths

 

[BronsonLee]

Ashes doesn't have SHIT on this

 

[dejay]

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been sixteen overs since my last boundary.

 

[Amir0x]

ok this is amazing. more inter-religious sports challenges please. Who would win in a basketball match: Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses? In tennis, are the Buddhists like to have an advantage over the Taoists? In swimming, can the jews beat the muslims?

 

[filler]

Religion Olympics > real Olympics

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Cricket, game of the gods... errr god. Confirmed.

 

[GodParticle]

Who would win the mental gymnastics competition?

 

[lastplayed]

Whoever wins, we lose.

 

[akira28]

ok this is amazing. more inter-religious sports challenges please. Who would win in a basketball match: Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses?

I feel like at least one of those would have a really firm grasp on the fundamentals.

 

[Henchmen21]

I'm sorry but every time I hear about "The Archbishop of Canterbury" I think of Blackadder.

 

[Lamel]

Why.

 

[pizza dog]

what a silly story

Go forth, my Romans and conquer! Beat the Divorcers!

 

[AceOcelot]

lol this is hilarious

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Anglicans to start praying for the resurrection of Bradman.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

This has meme potential as long as we get some good photos of the match and players.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Maybe they will bang it in short and knock the Pope hat off.

 

[one_kill]

Will the Pope be playing?

 

[i_am_ben]

Get the Hindus, Sikhs and Sunnis involved too.

Turn this into a professional league.

 

[Trouble]

ok this is amazing. more inter-religious sports challenges please. Who would win in a basketball match: Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses? In tennis, are the Buddhists like to have an advantage over the Taoists? In swimming, can the jews beat the muslims?

Mormons would get crushed.

 

[Rhaknar]

sounds like a South Park episode

 

[Nokterian]

sounds like a South Park episode

When Matt and Trey read this somewhere..there will be a episode for sure.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

I want a Vatican Jersey.


Do Cricket players even wear Jerseys?

 

[EternalDarko]

This sounds amazing, I want to go to this game!

 

[Oblivion]

Why not make it interesting? The loser has to convert to the winner's religion.

 

[Grakl]

This is fuckin amazing.

 

[hipbabboom]

Whoever wins, we lose.

Why's that?

 

[NekoFever]

The funny thing is post-match interviews probably won't have the obnoxious god-thanking that professional sports often do.

Also if the Catholics win do they get their churches and monasteries back?

 

[Dead Man]

The funny thing is post-match interviews probably won't have the obnoxious god-thanking that professional sports often do.

Also if the Catholics win do they get their churches and monasteries back?

Thankfully there doesn't seem to be much of that in cricket already, unless I have totally missed it. I do tend to tune out the post match interviews.

 

[Elchele]

This is great. Photos pls.

 

[Mastadon]

Further proof that cricket is the game of gods

Spoiler

representative on earth

 

[DonMigs85]

ok this is amazing. more inter-religious sports challenges please. Who would win in a basketball match: Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses? In tennis, are the Buddhists like to have an advantage over the Taoists? In swimming, can the jews beat the muslims?

Their beards aren't very hydrodynamic, might need to shave

 

[Messofanego]

I want to see the Pope get bowled out in the wickets and stamp his bat to the ground in frustration.

 

[Jintor]

This can only be the first step to the world's first Religious gladitorial games

 

[Winterfang]

Atheist should also respond with a good old Fedora Catwalk.

 

[vgJames]

Well my day suddenly just got better.

 

[HerbertFish]

ok this is amazing. more inter-religious sports challenges please. Who would win in a basketball match: Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses? In tennis, are the Buddhists like to have an advantage over the Taoists? In swimming, can the jews beat the muslims?

Mormons are really good at basketball. See BYU. Jabari Parker. Etc.

 

[JasonUresti]

Mormons would get crushed.

BYU usually has a pretty decent D1 college basketball team, and has put some players in the NBA.

 

[Ourobolus]

Perhaps, a metaphor? Religious teams participating in something that doesn't make any sense at all?

Spoiler

Spoiler

But seriously, Cricket is fuckin' weird.

 

[lastplayed]

Why's that?

It's in Revelations. Once the holy cricket game is finished the oceans will turn red.

 

[Acorn]

Pfft I want a football match. Silky Vatican skills.

 

[Eppy Thatcher]

In my head the pope stops the ball in mid air or makes it burst into flame and the other team is like "HEEEYYY we said NO POWERS!!!"

Reddit will be swimming in memes for days after this goes down. Is it Christ like to pray that someone gets beaned in the noggin? For Charity?

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

In my head the pope stops the ball in mid air or makes it burst into flame and the other team is like "HEEEYYY we said NO POWERS!!!"

Reddit will be swimming in memes for days after this goes down. Is it Christ like to pray that someone gets beaned in the noggin? For Charity?

Well any mistakes will be down to Divine Intervention. Dropped catch, god did it, misses run out, god did it etc.

 

[Christine]

I've long thought the apostolic succession ought to be determined by league play.

 

[Messofanego]

Perhaps, a metaphor? Religious teams participating in something that doesn't make any sense at all?

Spoiler

Spoiler

But seriously, Cricket is fuckin' weird.

Baseball is weirder!

 

[User 73706]

This is like Space Jam except a lot less exciting.

Faiths Jam?

 

[Elchele]

The Vatican cricket club, founded in October, includes priests from Australia, India and Pakistan.

Fully expect Pope Francis to start the Vatican Football Club.

 

[cashman]

ok this is amazing. more inter-religious sports challenges please. Who would win in a basketball match: Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses? In tennis, are the Buddhists like to have an advantage over the Taoists? In swimming, can the jews beat the muslims?

Mormons would destroy them.