Pope Francis calls for Olympic truce for warring nations, prays for peace

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis expressed hope Sunday that the Paris Olympics and Paralympics will be 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 can be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars, demonstrating a sincere desire for peace,” Francis said during his Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope stressed that sport also has “great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people of different cultures.”

The opening ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games will be held in Paris on July 26 with the participation of 205 delegations of athletes, who will parade on more than 80 boats on the Seine.

“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,” added Francis.

The Pope, as always, asked the faithful to pray for peace, recalling the ongoing conflicts in the world.

“Let us not forget the martyrs of Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and many other countries at war. Let us not forget that war is defeat,” he concluded.