A Vatican Olympic team?

I've got to admit, I'd never even thought of this as a possibility.

It sure would be neat though, to see the Vatican flag waving at the opening ceremonies and the athletes wearing the white and yellow.

At least one priest says it probably won't ever happen, though. U.S. Father Kevin Lixey, a member of the Legionaries of Christ in Turin to represent the Vatican, gives an explanation in the story:

The priest said some people tend to see the Vatican as a country that might want to boast its own national identity, but the pope is not the leader of a nation; he is the universal shepherd guiding the world's faithful.

"We're every country really. We represent the church throughout the world, not just the small city state of Vatican City," said the priest, a native of Flint, Mich.

The Vatican, in fact, prefers not to be a voting member of the United Nations, but instead to hold observer status, he said.

Also on the Olympics beat...in addition to the post previous to this one, here's another Shroud of Turin story:

Church should stress shroud's spiritual value, official says