“Above all, I believe sports have given me the God´s gift of ease to relate to people. It is very easy for me to be with people of any age, social condition or circumstance. Sports helps you not to have barriers. This has helped me a lot in the priesthood. In the second place, I would say that in sports, one works as a team. One person doesn't win, the whole team does. Moreover, I have played basketball especially. This also leads one to see the need to be organized. Each one has to give his best. The leader is not the one who carries a plan forward. He is the one who creates conditions in such a way that each one can give the best of himself. He is not the one in front carrying the flag. This is also very important in the priesthood and the episcopate. In the third place, as in sports, it is very important to know how to struggle. Life, for a man who wants to be loyal in the Church today, is a real struggle. Today we cannot say that the Church is synonymous with success — on the contrary.”

Source: From Basketball Player to Cardinal https://zenit.org/2001/02/27/from-basketball-player-to-cardinal/ (27 February 2001)