Pope Leo XIV. met with a delegation of Italian Olympic and Paralympic athletes on Thursday, April 9, who represented their country at the top world event of the 2026 Olympics in Milan. In his speech, he highlighted the value of sports as a school of brotherhood and inclusion, informs .
In his speech, he emphasized that the competition sent a noble human, cultural and spiritual message to the whole world. “Sport, if experienced authentically, does not remain just an ordinary performance,” said the Holy Father. “It is a form of language, a story composed of gestures, efforts, waiting, falls and new beginnings,” he emphasized.
The athletes had to show not only their trained bodies, but also stories full of sacrifice, discipline and perseverance. He particularly highlighted the Paralympic disciplines. “It was with them that we could observe how limitation can become a place of revelation, not something that holds a person back, but something that can be reshaped, even transformed into newly discovered qualities.” he noted.
The head of the Catholic Church appreciated the solidarity of the athletes with their families and the teams that accompanied them on the way. “A sport that trains the mind along with the limbs is authentic when it remains human – that is, when it remains true to its original vocation: to be a school of life and talent.” he added, saying that true success is measured by the quality of relationships, mutual respect and shared joy.
At the end of the official meeting, there was also a relaxed and smiling situation. When one of the athletes handed the Pope his gold medal, the Holy Father showed his sense of humor. With a playful expression on his face he pretended that he planned to keep the precious metal. “Can I keep her?” he asked the young man who remained in the mess. “I’m just kidding,” he immediately added and handed the medal back to him, and they both had a good time. You can find a VIDEO of their conversation below in the article.
