Pope calls for Olympic truce for war-torn countries

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis expressed his hope on Sunday that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will offer warring nations the opportunity to respect an ancient Greek tradition and agree to a ceasefire for the duration of the Games.

“According to ancient tradition, the Olympic Games may be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars and demonstrate a sincere will for peace,” he said.

Pope Francis spoke after the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.

He recalled that the Olympic Games begin in Paris this week, followed by the Paralympics, and noted: “Sport also has great social power and can peacefully unite people of different cultures.”

“I hope that this event can be a sign of the inclusive world we want to build and that the athletes, through their sporting commitment, can be ambassadors of peace and valuable role models for the youth,” he said.

The tradition of the Olympic truce

The tradition of the “Olympic Peace” originally aimed to enable all athletes and spectators from the constantly conflicting Greek city-states to safely participate in the ancient Olympic Games.

In the 1990s, the International Olympic Committee decided to revive the concept of the Olympic Truce to protect the interests of athletes and sport in general and to use the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly.

Prayers for peace

As always, the Pope did not fail to ask for prayers for peace.

“Let us not forget the martyrs of Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and many other countries in the war. Let us not forget, let us not forget, war is a defeat!” he appealed.