Pope appeals for Olympic Truce for war-torn nations

Aug 02, 2024

By Linda Bordoni
Pope Francis on July 21 expressed his hope that the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games provide the opportunity for warring nations to respect an ancient Greek tradition and establish a truce for the duration of the Games.

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

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

Touching on the commencement of the Paris Olympic Games, followed by the Paralympic Games, the Pope noted that “Sports also has a great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people from different cultures.”

“I hope that this event can be a sign of the inclusive world we want to build and that the athletes, with their sporting testimony, may be messengers of peace and valuable models for the young,” he said.

The tradition of the “Olympic Truce” originally aimed to allow safe participation in the ancient Olympic Games for all athletes and spectators from Greek city-states who were constantly engaged in conflict with each other.

In the 1990s, the International Olympic Committee decided to revive the concept of the Olympic Truce with a view to protecting the interests of the athletes and sports, in general, and to harness the power of sports to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly.--Vatican News