Pope to swimmers: Athletic values outlast the competition

“Sport is a medicine for both body and spirit, when it is practiced well,” Leo XIV said in his opening remarks. He praised the values of sports, citing “commitment, solidarity, and honesty,” and invited the athletes to spread them.

For the head of the Catholic Church, who personally enjoys tennis and horseback riding, sports are also an “opportunity for spiritual growth.” He noted that the aquatic nature of swimming symbolizes a foundational aspect of human life dating back to the mother's womb. As he explained, “to live means learning to move in harmony with others and with the environment around us.”

Finally, Leo XIV highlighted the fraternal dimension of the competition, which brings together athletes “inspired by the same passion and the same values, beyond every difference of language, nationality, and culture.” He celebrated this “sign of hope, a sign of the world we desire,” noting that it contributes “to peaceful encounters among peoples and to fraternity.”

He ended by entrusting the athletes to the intercession of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, frequently invoked as a patron saint of young people and of sports.