Pope Leo's prayer intention for the month of June has very good timing: Just a few days before the World Cup and as kids are starting summer seasons, the Holy Father is inviting the faithful to pray that sports might "build communion and fraternity."
Through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network’s “Pray with the Pope” campaign, the Pope encourages the faithful each month to join in praying for his intentions.
Part of his prayer this month says:
We ask that sport may always be
a school of fraternity, not of empty rivalry,
a space of encounter, not exclusion,
a path of peace, not violence.
It is well known that Pope Leo is a big sports fan, both for playing and for watching and supporting his favorite teams.
He has repeatedly met with athletes, and spoken of the value that sports can bring, for example in the 2025 Jubilee of Sports, and in a letter marking the Olympics.
Pope Francis, too, in The Pope Video of August 2016 dedicated to “Sports, a culture of encounter,” demonstrated how sports can become a “vehicle of fraternity” between peoples from different countries.
The "gift of sport"
Pope Leo begins this month's prayer thanking God for the gift of sports.
As St. Paul did, he presents it as a metaphor for the spiritual life: "You teach us that in life, as in the game, no one is saved alone."
Here is the text of Pope Leo's prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amén.
Lord of life,
we thank you for the gift of sport,
for those who glorify God through the exercise of their bodies,
for the friendships born on the field
and the joy of playing as a team.You teach us that in life, as in the game,
no one is saved alone.
We need others to grow,
to learn respect, to overcome our limits,
and to celebrate together the victories we achieve.We ask that sport may always be
a school of fraternity, not of empty rivalry,
a space of encounter, not exclusion,
a path of peace, not violence.May those who play, train, or cheer
discover in sport a universal language
that brings cultures together, unites peoples,
and sows respect, solidarity and personal growth.Lord Jesus,
may every sport become a parable of life lived with you,
working with joy and effort,
living with humility in defeat
and with gratitude in the victory you offer in your Resurrection.May your Spirit never be lacking in us,
making us one team, united with you
to build communion and fraternity in history.Amen.
Sports and peace
In fact, the cultural roots of sports as an instrument of peace has a centuries-old history, beginning with the Olympic Games themselves. The tradition of the Olympic Truce known in Ancient Greece as the Ekecheiria began in the ninth century B.C. as a treaty between city-states that were almost constantly engaged in conflict to guarantee safe participation in the games, thus transforming sports into a bridge promoting dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Recalling this spirit, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revived this concept in the 1990s so as to “to harness the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly.”
