The Vatican has relaxed it rules on how Catholics should spend the Sabbath.
New guidance issued in a report entitled Giving the Best of Yourself states that Catholics should feel free to play sports on the Sabbath because it "can help integrate a family with other families in the celebration of Sunday".
However, Pope Francis made it clear people shouldn't be over competitive and sports should not interfere with worship.
The document adds: "This does not mean that sport matches should not take place on Sundays, but rather, such events must not excuse families from attending Mass and should also promote the life of the family within the community."
Catholic Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said he doesn't think this new guidance will make a big difference for most Catholics because they are not traditionally strict about the Sabbath.
He told The Times: "I await the ruling on appearing on Sunday morning political shows with eager anticipation."
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
Article by Tola Mbakwe
Tola Mbakwe is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
