Some Olympians Dissatisfied With Religious Center

For the past few days, athletes and others have been marching into the center and asking for spiritual counseling in their native languages. They know that, in most cases, the staff there won't be able to oblige. That's the point.

They want to make sure each unfulfilled request is logged as evidence.

"We have kind of lost patience with it now. We have been trying to be courteous and patient, believing they would have adequate chaplains in there, but they do not," said David Willson, a consultant who has helped coordinate the Christian part of the religious services centers for the past three Olympics.

At past Games, the religious centers were near the athletes' dining halls, dormitories or other prominent places packed with people and events.

In Beijing, the nondescript white building housing the religious center is in a lonely corner of the Olympic Village, far from where athletes live. It's so hard to find, athletes, coaches and others say, that many delegations say they didn't even know it exists. That might explain why it has been practically deserted.

There are rooms at the center for the world's major religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism. There's also a room for those who are Greek Orthodox.

"I feel it's all running smoothly," said Sister Yu Shuqin, who is in charge of Catholic services at the center. "What we have here is not much different from the services in Beijing outside the village."

Those who have attended services say that's the problem.

Abdullah Al-Jamral, head of the Yemeni Olympic delegation, gave mixed reviews to the Friday prayer service for Muslims. "Maybe the man speaks not good Arabic, but we know what he says," Jamral said. On the other hand, he said, the Muslim prayer room is too small; the more than 50 people who showed up on Friday could barely fit.

The Christian services on Sunday drew fewer people.

Jose Correa, the chief medical doctor for the Puerto Rico team, attended the Protestant service, which featured a sermon about the prodigal son, plus singing accompanied by an organist. But he said there were only about five other people there. "It was okay -- very organized, very good people," Correa said.

He said that while he would have preferred a sermon in Spanish or at least one given by a native English speaker, he could understand most of the service.