Ray, what's the backstory? How did this meeting come about?

Well, it's a really neat story.

Our mutual friend, Mike Sweeney, who is a five-time All-Star with Kansas City Royals, Got to meet the Pope with his wife last year.

And I guess AJ had been thinking about going over and connected us.

And I was really excited to play a small role to help AJ because as I've told AJ, you know, I think this is an incredible, momentous visit because when you think about it, I believe, unprecedented perhaps, that we're talking about Pope who actually was familiar with AJ you know, going back over a decade or more, close to two decades, I guess, and was a fan of A.J.' 's before A.J. knew who the pope, knew the pope, knew who the pope.

And that's pretty, you know, interesting when you think about it.

And I'm just so glad it came together.

Why is it so important for athletes to recognize that their gifts on the field can always be a way for them to live out their faith?

And then little by little, you started recruiting priests to celebrate Mass at the

ballpark? Correct.

And to close the loop on a question you asked earlier, I was asked, will we brainstorm? I know you've heard me tell this story before, but...

we brainstormed in Rome with the Vatican about, you know, who were, because people don't identify, they don't wear labels saying they were Catholic.

So we're trying to figure out who were some Catholic athletes.

And, you know, Sal, in my case, baseball was what we knew.

Who are some Catholic baseball players? So we thought of Mike Piazza, Mike Sweeney, and Mike Socia, but we weren't certain.

Ray, what about you? Any thoughts, Phillies and Braves?

How can young athletes draw inspiration from the professionals who strive to balance competitive excellence with humility and strong moral character?

Well, I think as is true on all levels of sports, the World Cup on maybe the biggest stage presents an opportunity for everybody, but especially maybe the young athletes to look at their heroes, their role models, and see that they are about much more than athletic excellence.

They're about excellence in spiritual excellence, if you will, and how they so visibly and truly sincerely incorporate faith into their game that they're playing at the highest competitive level.

So it's maybe an encouragement and example for everyone to hopefully do the same.

Ray, as millions of fans have been tuning in and seeing the faith of many of the athletes from making the sign of the cross to pointing up to the heavens, what can you share with us regarding what has been written and discussed on the question of, does God care about sports?

Well, I think it's a great question.

And My favorite answer to the question was posed to Pope Benedict XVI, and his answer, I think, cannot be improved upon, which simply, God cares greatly about sports because God cares greatly about man, men and women, of course, because man is made, human beings are made in the image of God.

They are redeemed by the life, the death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ through the blood of Jesus.