The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, on Sunday, July 21, on the eve of the opening of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, called for a stop to wars for the entire period of the competition.
In the list of military conflicts, the bishop also mentioned Ukraine, which is daily attacked by Russian occupiers.
The call for peace in St. Peter's Square is quoted by the Vatican website.
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Olympic Games 2024 — what the Pope called for
—According to ancient Greek tradition, let the Olympic Games be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars by demonstrating a sincere will for peace, — Francis indicated.
He also noted that the Olympic Games will be followed by a series of Paralympic Games. In this vein, according to the Pope, athletes have great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people of different cultures.
—I hope that this event can become a sign of the inclusive world we want to build, and that athletes with their sporting achievements can become ambassadors of peace and valuable role models for youth, — the bishop summarized.
