After beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final in London on Saturday, June 1, Real Madrid arrived this Sunday, on the Corpus Christi festival, to the Cathedral of the Spanish capital to offer the victory and the cup to the Virgin of Almudena, Patroness of Madrid.
As reported by the Archdiocese of Madrid This Sunday, the team was received in the cathedral by the Madrid Archbishop, Cardinal José Cobo.
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I am happy that Real Madrid, faithful to Christian tradition, makes an offering of the European Cup to the Virgin Mary in thanksgiving for this historic success.
“We take refuge under your protection, holy Mother of God.” 🙏🏻✝️🤍 pic.twitter.com/jKLOgALZws
— P. Juan Manuel Góngora (@patergongora) June 2, 2024
Among the members of the Real Madrid team were Vinicius Jr., who scored the second goal in the final; goalkeeper Courtuois, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Tchouaméni, Kamavinga, and Carvajal.
It is not the first time that Real Madrid offers the Champions Cup to the Virgen de la Almudena. This is what they did in 2018 when they beat Liverpool and in 2022 when they defeated the same English team.
In the Almudena Cathedral, which was full of people, the cardinal highlighted that the entire Church “that walks in Madrid wants to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for this cup (Real Madrid’s 15th) and for what it means for you and for our city”.
“Congratulations for your effort and for the work of the entire team and the coaches and the entire club. “Sport is a means to express one’s talents, but also to build society,” added the cardinal.
“Now we place you with great affection under the mantle and gaze of the Virgin of Almudena, patron saint of this Madrid that you carry in your hearts. “She takes care of her and, like a good mother, she intercedes for her children, believers and non-believers,” the archbishop highlighted.
Archbishop of Madrid: I don’t know “what team Jesus would be on”
The cardinal also confessed that he would not know “what team Jesus, the Son of Mary, the one that she shows us in her arms, would be,” but “surely that Jesus also wants to be present and give thanks for this cup. “He helps us recognize what is truly important in life and things.”
“Mary welcomes this cup and makes it a blessing for you, your families, for Real Madrid fans and for all those who value good sport that helps make a better world, without wars and violence,” highlighted the cardinal.
At the end of his speech, Cardinal Cobo asked all of Real Madrid to continue “playing good football for everyone, may the Virgin protect, bless and care for you to be a blessing of hope and love for all. Thank you for playing like that.”
Walter Sánchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.