Vatican City: Hours ahead of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, Pope Leo XIV released a heartfelt letter titled “Life in Abundance”, reflecting on the significance of sport for humanity and urging respect for the Olympic Truce as a symbol of peace and fraternity.
In his letter, issued on the eve of the XXV Winter Olympic Games (6–22 February) and XIV Paralympic Games (6–15 March), the Pope extended his greetings to athletes, organizers, and all participants, while offering broader reflections on sport as a formative and morally uplifting human activity.
Pope Leo XIV praised sport as a powerful instrument for fostering human fraternity, ethical excellence, and the pursuit of the good and holy. He recalled that past Pontiffs had highlighted sport’s potential to advance peace and human development. In recent years, the Pope noted, the Olympic Truce, promoted by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations General Assembly, has once again underscored the role of sport as a global instrument of reconciliation.
“In a world longing for peace,” the Pope wrote, “we need instruments capable of curbing the abuse of power, acts of violence, and indifference to justice. Aggression, war, and violence are always defeats for humanity.” He called on nations participating in the Winter Games to embrace the Olympic Truce as a gesture of hope and a promise of a reconciled world.
Beyond its ethical and social significance, Pope Leo stressed that the Church is called to accompany and guide those engaged in sport. Highlighting Athletica Vaticana, the official sports team of the Holy See established in 2018 under the Dicastery for Culture and Education, he emphasized how sport can serve as a form of ecclesial service and a tool for pastoral outreach.
“In this way,” the Pope observed, “sport becomes a school of life, teaching that true abundance does not come from victory at any cost, but from sharing, respecting others, and rejoicing in the journey together.” He underlined the importance of guiding both professional and grassroots sport, noting that while elite competitions often attract attention and resources, community-level sports foster relationships and human growth even in modest settings.
Pope Leo warned against reducing sport to a mere spectacle or commercial product, cautioning against its exploitation for political or financial gain. Instead, he urged that sport remain faithful to its essential mission: to cultivate personal development, solidarity, and the common good.
He called on the Church to maintain a concrete presence in the world of sport, providing accompaniment, discernment, and encouragement, thereby allowing sport to educate the whole person. The Pope emphasized that the values of teamwork, mutual respect, and shared joy are as important as competition itself.
Through his message, Pope Leo XIV reminded the global sporting community that sport, when practiced ethically and inclusively, nurtures humanity, promotes peace, and strengthens bonds among peoples, echoing the timeless ideals embodied by the Olympic movement.