‘Let these Olympics be a great celebration of friendship and sport!’
Pope Francis gave this encouragement at the end of today’s General Audience, recalling that the XXIII Winter Olympic Games will open on Friday, February 9, in the city of PyeongChang, South Korea, with the participation of 92 countries.
The traditional Olympic truce, the Pontiff emphasized, becomes especially important this year, reminding, «Delegations from the two Koreas will march together under a single flag and compete as one team.»
«This fact,» he said, «gives hope for a world in which conflicts can be resolved peacefully through dialogue and mutual respect, as sports also teaches to do.»
Offering his greetings to the International Olympic Committee, to the athletes and athletes participating in the PyeongChang Games, to the Authorities and to the people of the Korean Peninsula, he stressed that he accompanies them all with prayer, while, noting: «I renew the commitment of the Holy See to support every useful initiative in favor of peace and the meeting of peoples.»
Let these Olympics be a great celebration of friendship and sport!
Pope Francis concluded, praying, «May God bless you and keep you!
