The following is the video message sent by the Holy Father Francis to the participants in the celebrations for the 103rd anniversary of the Club América football team of Mexico City, and in the ceremony for the blessing by His Eminence Cardinal Aguiar Retes Carlos, metropolitan archbishop of México, of the “Aguilario for the conservation of the golden eagle”, symbol of the Mexican squad:

Video Message of the Holy Father

Dear brothers,

It is a pleasure to greet all the participants and viewers of the celebrations for the 103rd anniversary of Club América. In this greeting I wish to include also and in a special way all the clubs of the beloved Republic of Mexico, of all the places of the country and all the categories. I congratulate you for uniting sport and social integration in your work with so many initiatives of solidarity. The future is not built with regrets but with decisions like yours.

I am also especially happy that Cardinal Carlos Aguiar, in celebrating this anniversary, will bless the “Aguilario for the conservation of the golden eagle”. I know that the golden eagle, symbol of Club América, is an endangered species. I hope that this gesture in favour of biodiversity will help us to become aware of the urgent need to take care of our “Common Home”. Both the environment and people, without excluding anyone, but take care of the common house, take care of each other. I also want to tell you that I pray for the unity of the Mexican people, so that the beloved Virgin of Guadalupe may continue to shelter them with her mantle, so they do not fall prey to the pettiness of small group interests, but rather that the rich diversity of cultures and outlooks that exists in your beautiful land may be increasingly well integrated, in such a way that what predominates is the search for the common good, with special efforts for the integration of the most neglected. And, please, when you pray, when you raise your prayers to the Guadalupana, when you look at her with tenderness, do not forget to pray for me. God bless you!