Pope Leo XIV calls for respect for the Olympic truce, “a tool of hope” | OneFootball

Pope Leo XIV made an appeal to the world this Friday (6) to respect the Olympic truce, “an instrument of hope,” just hours before the official opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, which run until February 22.

“I sincerely encourage all nations (…) to rediscover and respect this instrument of hope that is the Olympic truce, a symbol and a prophecy of a reconciled world,” the pontiff wrote in a message.

In November, UN member states adopted a resolution calling for the suspension of international conflicts during the Olympic Games, an ideal that has been regularly ignored throughout history.

The resolution is inspired by an ancient Greek tradition, and since 1993, the Olympic truce has been presented every two years at the UN by the host country of the next edition of the Olympic Games.

  See this post on Instagram   A post shared by Pope Leo XIV (@pontifex)

Pope Leo XIV recalled that “in Ancient Greece, it was an agreement aimed at suspending hostilities before, during, and after the Olympic Games, so that athletes and spectators could travel freely and the competitions could take place without interruptions.”

The Catholic religious leader also warned of the danger of “business becoming the main or sole motivation” in sports.

He also rejected the idea that “major sporting events” should serve “political or ideological interests.”

“When sport submits to the logic of power, propaganda, or national supremacy, its universal vocation is betrayed,” he stated.

*By AFP

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.