Pope appeals for Olympic Truce for war-torn nations

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis expressed hope Sunday that the Paris Olympics and Paralympics will provide an opportunity for warring nations to respect an ancient Greek tradition and establish a truce for the duration of the Games.

“According to ancient tradition, the Olympic Games should be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars, thus demonstrating a sincere desire for peace,” he said.

Pope Francis was speaking after reciting the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.

He recalled that this week the Paris Olympic Games will begin, followed by the Paralympic Games, and noted that “sport also has great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people of different cultures.”

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

The tradition of the Olympic truce

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

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 harness 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 at war. Let us not forget, let us not forget, war is defeat!” he said.