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Pope: May Paralympic Games in South Korea "Be Days of Joy & Peace for All'

Holy Father Praises Disabled Athletes Courage, Tenacity, & Consistency

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May the Paralympic Games in South Korea be days of joy and peace for all.
This was the hope Pope Francis expressed toward the conclusion of his General Audience on March 7, 2018, from the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, as he mentioned this event that follows the Olympic Winter Games in the South Korean city of PyeongChang.
The Olympic Games, the Holy Father observed, «have shown how sport can build bridges between countries in conflict and make a valuable contribution to opportunities for peace among peoples.»
«The Paralympic Games,» the Pope stressed,  prove even more that through sport we can overcome our own handicaps.»
«Paralympic athletes are for all an example of courage, consistency, tenacity not to be overcome by one’s own limits. »
«Sport is a great school of inclusion, but also an inspiration for life and a commitment to transforming society,» he added.
Greeting the International Paralympic Committee, the athletes, the authorities and the people of Korea, the Pope wished «that this event could be days of peace and joy for all».

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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