This was stressed by the Pope in the message sent to the Archbishop of Paris a few days before the start of the event. An event marked by conflicts and restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes due to the war in Ukraine. These are “opportunities” to “discover and appreciate each other, to break down prejudices, to create esteem where there is contempt and mistrust, friendship where there is hatred.”
Vatican City () – “The Olympic Games are, by nature, bearers of peace and not of war” and their spirit is marked by “fraternity.” This is what Pope Francis stressed in a message sent to the Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, and released today, on the eve of the XXXIII Olympic Games The Pontiff hopes that the event will be “an occasion for fraternal harmony” for all the French people “along with differences and oppositions, and that it will strengthen the unity of the nation” at a time of social divisions and tensions such as those that have emerged in recent weeks during the European and political elections.
Speaking of the Olympics, the Pope refers to the “spirit” that was breathed “in ancient times” when, on the occasion of the games, a truce was “wisely” instituted to all wars or conflicts in progress. And even modern times, he continues, are trying to “recover this happy tradition”. In these troubled times”, he continues, “when world peace is seriously threatened, I fervently hope that everyone will appreciate this truce in the hope that conflicts will be resolved and harmony restored”. Hence the prayer to God to “enlighten the consciences of rulers on the grave responsibilities that fall upon them” and to “grant the artisans of peace success in their steps”.
The Pope’s wish is that the Paris Olympics will be for all participants an “unavoidable opportunity to discover and appreciate one another, to break down prejudices, to create esteem where there is contempt and mistrust, friendship where there is hatred.” A wish that contrasts with a reality in which politics, and current events, are in fact distorting the spirit of the event, with the International Olympic Committee imposing various restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus due to the war in Ukraine. They will not be allowed to participate in team sports, but only in individual competitions and as “neutrals” (without flags or uniforms), as well as being excluded from the opening ceremony. Added to this is the growing hostility of Moscow leaders and President Vladimir Putin himself, which further complicates the presence of Russian athletes.
In his message dedicated to the Olympics, the Pope finally recalls how sport is “a universal language that transcends borders, languages, races, nationalities and religions”. Sporting events in general, but especially the Games with the spirit that characterises them, have “the capacity to unite peoples, to encourage dialogue and mutual acceptance” and to stimulate “overcoming oneself” and foster “the spirit of sacrifice”. They also encourage “loyalty in interpersonal relationships” and “invite us to recognise our own limits and the value of others”. “The Olympic Games, if they truly remain ‘games’, can therefore be an exceptional place of encounter between peoples, even the most hostile. The five intertwined rings – concludes Pope Francis – represent this spirit of fraternity that must characterise the Olympic event and sporting competition in general”.
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