(REVIEW) Beyond the Vatican’s walls and its soaring columns lies a not-so-secret passion. It is this passion, one that envelopes much of the planet, that takes over the lives of a select group of Catholic priests and seminarians.

What is this passion? It’s the annual Clericus Cup, a soccer tournament contested by teams from various seminaries located throughout Rome. Founded in 2007, the competition features 66 different nationalities and is the brainchild of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the former Vatican secretary of state and rabid soccer fan.

The tournament pits against one another different religious orders and schools where seminarians are studying and training to become ordained priests. Think of it as March Madness for priests-in-training who play the world’s most popular sport. In fact, the tournament has received regular press from the Italian media and even the subject last year of a feature story on FIFA.com, soccer’s world governing body.

This unique sporting event is the focus of a new 69-minute documentary called “The Holy Game” by filmmakers Brent Hodge and Chris Kelly. The film, distributed by Gravitas Ventures, details what’s often called the “World Cup of the church” — but also takes a behind-the-scenes look at these young seminarians who love both playing the game and the challenges that come with dedicated their lives to God.

Soccer aside, the film follows several seminarians all with a seemingly similar backstory: self-doubt and anxiety over what awaits them once they are ordained. These men also grapple with a variety of challenges they will ultimately have to face in a secular world, including not being able to marry and start a family and dealing with how they will be perceived as the ongoing sex-abuse crisis plagues the church.

What emerges is a fascinating sports documentary like no other, although there could have been more action from what took place on the field. In an interview conducted during the Kicking and Screening Soccer Film Festival, where the movie premiered this month, Hodge said of the men interviewed for the film: “We just wanted to find honest people. People who were willing to speak about all the different layers of the onion of Catholicism from sport to faith to the future to everything.”

The film does just that, giving us an unfiltered view into the lives of several seminarians, including two Americans at the North American College in Rome, and the hard work and years of study and sacrifice that goes into becoming a priest. Intermingled throughout the film are scenes of the various rounds from the knockout stage of the Clericus Cup that was contested in 2017.

One seminarian in particular, the Ghanaian-born Eric Atta Gyasi, has an infectious smile and a wonderful story to tell. He is on a scholarship to attend the Collegio Urbano, a four-time Clericus Cup winner, and loves the game.  

“In Rome, there are lots of colleges around, they are all playing to win,” he says in the film. “So, with the power of our college we will win!”   

The documentary also makes mention of the blue card. In soccer, the referee displays a yellow card for a foul and a red one in order to denote that a player has been ejected from the game. The blue card, used only at the Clerocus Cup, is shown after a player commits unsportsmanlike conduct and is then forced to sit out for five minutes. It’s a temporary purgatory if you will.

Overall, what takes place on the field, however, is secondary to the story. Along the way, there are some explosive revelations that emerge — and not all of them shine the best light on the protagonists.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to hear from or see Pope Francis. A native of Argentina, the pontiff is a life-long fan of San Lorenzo. The pope has been known to use soccer as an ice breaker and in his speeches and homilies. He’s also met with several soccer legends at the Vatican over the last few years, including countrymen Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Nevertheless, this movie is worth your time for both soccer fans and those interested in the spiritual life of Catholic clerics as they prepare to go into the world.

“The Holy Game” is available starting June 29 on various digital video-on-demand platforms, including Vudu, and at Gravitas Movies.

Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.