Pope Francis calls for Olympic truce amid global conflicts

On Sunday, July 21st, Pope Francis conducted the Angelus prayer meeting in Vatican City. During this time, he appealed for a ceasefire, at least during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which are set to commence imminently.

The anticipation and countdown are slowly coming to an end. On Friday, 26th July, the official opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will be held. The following day, the first athletes will begin competing for medals in the capital of France.

For some athletes, it is the perfect opportunity to highlight the happenings in their country. After all, the war in Ukraine, initiated by Russia in February 2022, is still ongoing. Additionally, there is the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas.

In light of this, Pope Francis called for an Olympic truce. This occurred on Sunday, 21st July, at the Angelus prayer meeting in Vatican City.

- Sport has a great social strength, capable of peacefully uniting people of different cultures. I hope that this event can be a sign of the inclusive world that we want to build and that the athletes, with their sporting testimony, be messengers of peace and effective models for young people in particular - the clergyman's words echoed.

- According to the ancient tradition, the Olympics are an occasion to establish a truce in wars, demonstrating a sincere desire for peace - he added.

The upcoming Olympic Games will be the first to take place during the war in Ukraine and following the significantly intensified conflict between Israel and Hamas. Therefore, the situation regarding these issues during the competitions in Paris remains uncertain.