How do you measure an athlete’s quality? León XIV’s answer

(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 06.25.2026).- On Thursday, June 25, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father received a large delegation from the Italian Swimming Federation and participants in the 62nd Sette Colli International Swimming Trophy. Below is the English translation of the address Pope Leo XIV delivered to them:

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

It is with joy that I meet all of you, leaders of the Italian Swimming Federation, athletes, and members of the delegations participating in the International Swimming Competition – the 62nd Sette Colli Trophy.

Sport is a medicine for both body and spirit, when it is practiced well. It integrates the different dimensions of the human person and directs them toward very important values such as commitment, solidarity, and honesty. In sporting activities, especially at the competitive level, human beings exercise their willpower, but they do so to the extent that they are motivated. And here the quality of an athlete becomes evident: it is revealed by the quality of his or her motivations.

Sport is also an opportunity for spiritual growth. Swimming, in this regard, has something special about it. Indeed, we practise it while being immersed in an element – water – that surrounds us. This symbolically recalls an aspect that has been part of us since our mother’s womb: to live means learning to move in harmony with others and with the environment around us. For us Christians, moreover, water is a symbol of Baptism and of new life in Christ.

There is, however, another reason why I am glad of your presence. All of you, coming from different countries, have gathered here, inspired by the same passion and the same values, beyond every difference of language, nationality, and culture. This reality, typical of international sporting events, offers a sign of hope, a sign of the world we desire; it contributes to peaceful encounters among peoples and to fraternity.

Therefore, I encourage you to continue practicing and spreading the values of sport. The years of athletic competition pass, but those values remain! I entrust you to the intercession of Pier Giorgio Frassati – a young sportsman who loved the mountains dearly – and with all my heart I bless all of you and your loved ones. Thank you!

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