Rick Broadbent
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It has been a long time coming, but more than two decades since God had a hand in a World Cup triumph, football is returning the favour. With heart on sleeve and slogan on chest, Kaká’s postmatch celebration in Athens on Wednesday night thrust his faith into the spotlight. “I belong to Jesus,” the statement said. Liverpool fans shuddered, undone by an ineligible deity.
As arguably the best player on earth, Kaká’s high-profile commitment to his religion is good news for church leaders. In recent times, the Italian church’s efforts to infiltrate the mainstream and spread the gospel have been much derided. When Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Pope Benedict’s No 2, created The Clericus Cup this year, an international tournament for priests and seminarians, he spoke without irony of creating a Vatican City team to take on the likes of AC Milan in Serie A. However, even Bertone would not argue that the stated aim of “reinvigorating a sporting tradition within the Christian community” is better served by Kaká and his T-shirt than kickarounds in cassocks.
Kaká, who was born to a middle-class family in Brasilia, said that he became deeply religious when he was 12. “I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not,” he said.
Some might consider that the Liverpool fans who “kept the faith” in the face of the most testing circumstances during the Champions League final two years ago actually endured a quasi-religious experience. Other similarities shared by football and religion are obvious – tribalism, sacrifice, conflict. However, few people remember that a third of the clubs that have played in the Premiership owe their existence to a church. Barnsley and Swindon Town were founded by clergymen, while Louis Rocca, the ice-cream baron who came up with the name “Manchester United”, set up a network of Catholic priests to scout for players.
Kaká’s own faith was strengthened in October 2000 when he slipped on a swimming pool slide and broke a vertebrae. “The doctors said that I was lucky to be able to walk normally,” he said. “They were talking about luck and my family was talking about God. We knew that it was His hand that had saved me.”
In terms of religious commitment, Kaká has been there, done it and bought the T-shirt. He wore his “I belong to Jesus” vest when Milan won Serie A in 2004 and has “God is faithful” stitched on to the tongues of his boots. An evangelical Christian, his influence was reflected by the febrile reaction to Middle Eastern reports last year that he had converted to Islam.
But with church attendances falling and religion a contentious issue, could Kaká’s faith actually put bums on pews? Monsignor Keith Barltrop, director of the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation, said: “A lot of people think religion is quite fundamentalist, so if there is a major sporting figure whose lifestyle backs up his words, it is a positive thing.
“It is not a question of getting people into church, but it is good to have positive role models. It is easy to be excited by pop stars and sporting celebrities, but you have to ask if that leads to a life of hedonism.” A religious footballer is far from unique. Portsmouth’s success this season may or may not have had anything to do with the prayer meetings attended by the likes of Kanu and Lomana LuaLua. Meanwhile, the organisation Score continues a 16-year battle to make chaplaincy available to the world of sport and 70 per cent of league clubs have a chaplain; tonight, at Huish Park, the Reverend Jim Pearce will lead prayers in the Vice-President’s lounge before Yeo-vil Town’s Coca-Cola League One play-offs final on Sunday.
“It’s good to get out into the community,” Rev Simon Stevenette, the vicar of Christ Church, Swindon, and the football club chaplain, said. As for Kaká’s show of faith, he believes it can help the church’s cause. “I’ve got five football-mad boys and when they saw Brazil praying at the World Cup, they were all talking about it at breakfast,” he said. “It sparks debate.”
It can also spark a comeback if Marvin Andrews is to believed. Having injured his cruciate ligament in March 2005, the then Rangers defender was ruled out for the season. Andrews said that God would keep him fit and made a speedy recovery that baffled doctors. The flipside to such tales is the sectarian bigotry that blights football in Glasgow, where Andrews was plying his trade.
But if the Hand of God Church in Rosario, Argentina, with its commandment to name all first sons Diego, seems extreme, the deification of Kaká may be more useful to religious leaders seeking to attract football’s youth. “We can only win being on Jesus’s side,” Kaká said. This year, anyway.
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It is an honour for us to have Kaka as a God fearing person where most of the footballers to day have forgotten God and have put money first than GOD. MAY GOD BLESS KAKA A SUCCESSFUL AND HAPPY LIFE!
Mung Suante, Shillong, India
for all those who says kaka needs to see the light, i have this to say
KAKA HAS SEEN THE LIGHT......AND THAT LIGHT IS JESUS
GOD BLESS u n keep u Kaka, and may HIS face continue to shine upon u. ur words....it is faith that determines if something will happen or not, has built up mine tonight.
og, ny, USA
Well I got got say that the word of God (Jesus) is worthy to be praised,Kaka U r a good example of whom the worlds youths should learn from,Do keep it up," this rate you will amount to be the greatest of all.Daniel 11:32.
Congrats,Bro,
Richard Eko,Lagos Nigeria.
Richard Eko, Lagos, Nigeria
congratulation evangelist kaka, I'm impressed that at the level of success and money u have achieved JESUS still remain central to you.God bless you more and more.I pray That God will give u more victories to show off his name.
......
Niyi Olajide, Essex, United Kingdom
you are truely an ispiration, and i can see that you not ashamed of Christ, not many peple have the boldness to proclaim that they belong to Jesus.
May God's blessing and favour rest upon your life.
Jamie, Johannesburg, South Africa
God is the very breath of every living individual in this planet. It is in him alone that we move and have our being. GOD Bless you KAKA, and I wish you every success in your life.With your status as a celebrity, there is nothing more glorifying and powerful than what you have done.
Rensie PANDA
Rensie PANDA, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Anyone can receive Jesus! young, teenager, or adult. Its God working in their lives at any time. it just so happens that young people come to the realisation of a saviour sometimes easier than older people because they are still innocent. younger people are alot open to what God is saying to them. Jesus even said himself, 'unless you become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven' Matt. 18:3. this means that to be humble and innocent before God like a child is humbled and innocent before their parents, and accept they need Jesus to wash away their sins, they will not be able to enter into heaven because of their pride.
you see as we grow older we think we know it all and have no need for God. But there are things we cant explain and there are things we are in need of, that only God can save us from.
Christinaity is simple! so simple that even children can grasp. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for your sins, and you will be saved.
Joel, Brisbane, Australia / Qld
"Maybe we should club together and send him "The God Delusion" to help him overcome his mental disability and see the light.."
Rob Green
Equally perhaps, it is ironic that so many people rabidly believe 'the God Delusion', after enthusiasticly lapping it up as fuel to the fire of hatred or mockery of all things religious.
It's also ironic that whilst a player like Kaka can express his beliefs by being humble in a moment of glory, you feel the need to express yours by calling those of anyone else 'disease' and a 'mental disability'.
'If the church needs to use people like this...'
John Castro
I hardly think the church put him up to it. Reading his testimony it's a decision he made for himself.
I think it's fine that he should express his feelings after the game like this.
And to all those whinging about how 'religious nuts' get more coverage than 'clever atheists' - turn on your TV.
Lewis, Loughborough, England
Why shouldn,t Kaka celebrate the fact that he belongs to Jesus. Belonging to Jesus is brilliant, Through Him he has a friendship with the one who not only created him but also died for him taking the blame for all the wrong things he has ever done and can therefore look forward to eternity with him.This is available for all who will ask him into there lives as Lord (boss) and Saviour (saves us from the punishment we deserve).He is also true look up Isaiah ch 42 and ch 53 (700bc),Psalm 22 (1000bc),MIcah ch5v2 (680bc),zechariah ch11v12 (520bc) to name afew.
dave, bradford, uk
It seems this genius with his feet became "deeply religious" when he was 12.
Funny how so many get the disease when young and / or at a vulnerable stage of their lives.
Obviously indoctrination of the young still works very well - either that or he has yet to grow up , make use of his evolved brain and work things out for himself.
Perhaps being surrounded by footballers is unlikely to provide the outside stimulus needed to assist him.
Maybe we should club together and send him "The God Delusion" to help him overcome his mental disability and see the light..
Rob Green, Essex, England
It's so refereshing to see Kaka proclaiming his faith in God in an age when Chriatians are an endangered species in the West and an open profession of faith is somewhat viewed as akin to the possession of some illegal article or substance, at least in the eyes of the aggresively secularised media.
Here for once is a 'celebrity' who did not make news because of his debauch, hedonistic and glamourous lifestyle; booze, serial adultery, drug, divorce, homosexualism, murder or any of those things that the media is obsessed with, and ram down our throat.
May God's grace continue to uphold you Kaka.
Toba, SURREY, UK
One can only hope that one day Kaka will see the light. If the church needs to use people like this to attract more to the Christian faith, then they must be desperate indeed!
Jonathan Castro, Guildford, UK
God bless KAKA!
Rodney, Sao Paulo, Brazil
I agree with the first comment but not with Dr P Mulay's. His t-shirt isn't an attempt to bring religion into sport, it shows that his faith and his football are inseperable. The secular view that religion should be kept private is a failure to understand the concept behind any kind of faith.
Also, J. Hawkings - I think the media is largely anti religious and spends most of it's time supporting your view - so why not allow Christians a moment of positive publicity?
Matt, Derby,
Why would an athiest get media attention? What is there to report on someone who belives in nothing? J. Hawkings - What are you on about??
C Thompson, Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Well done Kaka, his T-shirt not only proclaiming his faith but gratitude for his gift. Thankfulness as an attitiude rather than entitlement is becoming so rare these days and is a sign of great psychological strength.
Being a christian is neither a guarantee of success on the pitch or great blessing but a relationship with Jesus maintains that sense of gratitude and awareness of grace which Kaka displayed so publicly.
Angus, Cleveland,Guisborough,
It is great to see that a footballer is openly expressing his faith. The thing is, from what I have read from the comments, people are acting like he is forcing religion down their throats! Give the guy a break and let him show the love to the Lord of Lords.
People are making a scapegoat of Kaka, but they are not mentioning the prayer meetings that happen at Portsmouth before matches. If young Christian people were to look up at Kaka and see him as a role model to express their faith, then let it be!
Owen, Swansea, Wales
Ah, the atheistic fundamentalists are unhappy that the media are giving attention to someone who doesn't share the beliefs of Scientist turned Philosopher Richard Dawkins...
Bravo Kaka...and Bravo Rick Broadbent for covering the story - a refreshing piece of sports journalism...
aled williams, cardiff,
haha thats quality..
Sam, milton keynes,
Kaka´s attitude is in fact good news for all those who are committed to God and His only Son Jesus Christ.
Nonbelievers, climb out of the Stone Age!
Osnei, London,
Not fair to bring religion into sports.
Dr P Mulay, Wadebridge Cornwall,
Is he trying to provoke the non-faithful into some sort of rebellion? Good news for church leaders / bad news for the realists.
Would you have given the same coverage to someone who didn't believe in the existence of God?
Or to someone who was vehemently anti-religious, wearing an anti-religion t-shirt, on the grounds that it is the main reason behind why the world is so screwed up? Athiests just don't get the same amount of coverage in the media do they?
Climb out of the dark ages, for the love of no God.
J. Hawkings, London, UK
Wait a minute ... so if Kaka openly admits that he "belongs to Jesus" - therefore presumably not to AC Milan - is this not another blatant example of third-party influence?
Liverpool should jump on the "Gang of Four"'s bandwagon and appeal for Milan to be expelled from this year's Champions League ... again.
Sam, London, United Kingdom