Vatican invites young people to photograph sport as a source of hope
As part of the Jubilee of Sport 2025, the Dicastery for Culture and Education (Vatican) is organising the "Sport in Motion" international photography competition, aimed at young photographers, professional or amateur, under the age of 25.
The competition celebrates sport as a universal expression of values and invites participants to explore their creativity around five thematic categories: sport and hope (sport as a message of hope for society); sport and family (sport as a moment of shared family life); sport and frailty (sport as a platform for the inclusion of disabled people); sport and politics (sport as a resource accessible to all); sport and ecology (the relationship between sport and the elements of nature).
With the aim of bringing together the dimensions of youth, sport and art, the competition encourages young people to share their vision of the world through photography. As Pope Francis said in his address to artists: "If art, despite other characteristics, is an act of creativity, subjectivity and exclusivity, it also has an ethical-political function: it aims to tell the story of humanity and, in this narrative, to denounce its risks and prophesy its beauties". This competition aims precisely to "think about sport beyond sport", using art to communicate the cultural and spiritual relevance of sport.
The winners, who will be announced during the Jubilee of Sport on 14 and 15 June 2025, will receive a meeting with the Holy Father, a visit to the Vatican Museums, a workshop in the newspaper L'Osservatore Romano and international promotion of their photographs on the Holy See's official channels.
The competition has the support of partners such as L'Osservatore Romano, the Global Compact on Education, the Pontific Foundation Gravissimum Educationis and Athletica Vaticana. The godfather of the competition, Giovanni Zenoni, a renowned sports photographer and a reference in the field, will be part of the jury and will contribute his talent to the celebration of the Jubilee.
This is a unique opportunity for young talents to showcase their artistic vision and contribute to the celebration of sport as a source of inspiration, inclusion and hope for contemporary society.
Applications are open until 30 April 2025.