Vatican News
Before Michał Listkiewicz became the president of the Polish Football Association, he was one of the best Polish football referees. In 1990, he was appointed to officiate matches during the World Cup, which took place in Italy.
Even before the tournament began, Listkiewicz was asked by the heads of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) for help in organizing a meeting between the referees and Pope John Paul II.
“They approached me asking if I could help organize an audience with the Holy Father, as they couldn’t manage it themselves. So I went for an audience with the Primate of Poland, Józef Glemp, who promised to try and help. And indeed, after a few weeks, it turned out that we had approval,” Michał Listkiewicz recalls in an interview with Vatican News.
Papież wzbudził podziw
The president of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) from 1999-2008 revealed that John Paul II made a huge impression on him. The Pope particularly impressed Listkiewicz with his knowledge of languages.
“Referees from over twenty countries appeared at the audience. I introduced everyone to the Pope. And the Holy Father spoke to each referee in their native language. Practically there was no language the Pope didn’t know,” Listkiewicz says with clear admiration.
The Polish national team was absent from the 1990 World Cup, as they failed to qualify for the tournament. During the audience, the Pope expressed regret about this, but assured that he would pray for the Polish representative, who was referee Michał Listkiewicz.
Crystal whistle
The former Polish football official also recalled another event that took place at the end of the 1990 audience. As a representative of the group of referees, he presented the Pope with a gift – a crystal whistle, specially made to order in a crystal factory in Stronie Śląskie.
“The Pope took the whistle, blew it, and it turned out the whistle didn’t whistle, because it was just an ornament. And he said: «Mr. Michał, but what kind of whistle is this that doesn’t whistle?». Fortunately, one of my colleagues had a real referee’s whistle with him. We quickly handed the whistle to the Pope, who blew it so loudly that the chandeliers shook. «Oh! This is a whistle» – said the Holy Father,” recounts the former president of the Polish Football Association.
Audience like a World Cup final
Michał Listkiewicz had no doubt even then that the meeting with the Pope was one of the most important events in his entire life.
“I could only compare it to a World Cup final in football. It is known that many Poles had the opportunity to be at an audience with the Holy Father, but to stand right next to John Paul II for so long and introduce successive referees to the Pope, that was something incredible,” a moved Listkiewicz recalls.
On the occasion of another audience, which took place a few years later, the Pope surprised the Polish delegation from the Polish Football Association. He asked the general secretary of the association – Zdzisław Kręcina – where he came from. When he heard that it was from Żywiec, he said: “Ah, Soła Żywiec! A very famous club!”.
“And there are probably four clubs in Żywiec, and Soła is actually the least known! However, the Pope, from his youth when he played sports, remembered that there was a club called Soła Żywiec. When Zdzisio returned to Poland and told about this situation, the supporters of Soła Żywiec ordered a Holy Mass especially for this occasion, that their club was mentioned in the Vatican by the Pope,” says Michał Listkiewicz.
THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW WITH MICHAŁ LISTKIEWICZ CAN BE WATCHED HERE
