By CLEMENTE LISI

As Poland braces for its first-ever European Championship appearance next week, the Catholic Church is urging fans to pray for the team — and to behave themselves if they decide to travel to Austria and Switzerland. “We should support our players through prayer,” Father Edward Plen, who is the official chaplain to the Polish sports world, was quoted as saying in the Polska Daily.

“It’s important that our boys feel that they’re not alone, and that they have the full support of the Catholic community.”

Plen also urged Polish fans, who have earned a reputation for hooliganism, to “keep to the principles of the Ten Commandments” when they encounter other fans.

“We cannot forget that he who is on the other side is not only an adversary but also a man,” he said.

Clergyman wield considerable influence in Poland, where more than 90 percent of the 38 million people there are Catholic.