The master's thesis entitled »Sport as a Pastoral Opportunity in the Church in Slovenia« deals with the importance of sport as an important part of human life and analyzes its role within the Catholic Church. The starting point of the work is the belief that sport can contribute to the holistic development of a person and that the Church can use it as a tool for evangelization, education, and pastoral activity. The introductory part presents the definition of modern sport in the light of philosophical considerations. At the same time, sport is presented as a social and cultural phenomenon that goes beyond mere physical activity. The second part of the work is dedicated to the Christian understanding of sport. With the help of biblical, patristic, and theological sources, it presents the positive attitude of the Church towards physicality and sport and emphasizes the importance that sport has for the spiritual and moral development of an individual. The work then analyses the historical involvement of sport in church events in Slovenia, with an emphasis on the Catholic movement Orel and the work of the Salesians, whose activities were interrupted after World War II, but which began to gain importance again after Slovenia gained independence (e.g. ŠportKAT league, the PAX priests' football club, ski days for priests). The closing chapter presents two directions in the development of sports pastoral care: the establishment of Catholic sports clubs for young people and the introduction of the service of sports chaplain for professional athletes. Interviews with priests, organizers and athletes confirm the need and interest in the development of this type of pastoral care, while at the same time revealing specific limitations. The work concludes with a recommendation for the gradual strengthening of existing projects as a basis for the systematic development of sports pastoral care in the Church in Slovenia.
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