Vatican XI goes on tour, plays Anglicans, royals

The Vatican's new cricket team is going on tour, playing an Anglican squad at the Kent County Cricket Club and the royal household's XI at Windsor.

The Sept. 12-20 "Light of Faith Tour" aims to forge greater ties between the Catholic and Anglican churches, which split in 1534 after English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment.

A half-millennium later, the two churches remain divided on a host of issues, including female bishops.

On the pitch though, the teams will play a Twenty20 match for a common cause: to raise money for an interfaith initiative to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
 

The Vatican formed its team last year, tapping mostly Indian and Sri Lankan priests, deacons and seminarians studying in Rome.