Overview
- Hours before the Milano-Cortina 2026 opening ceremony, the Vatican published 'Life in Abundance' outlining the pope's vision for sport.
- He urges governments to honor the Olympic truce and use the Games to pursue de-escalation of conflicts, a practice backed by the IOC and the UN General Assembly.
- The letter criticizes profit-driven pressures and the 'dictatorship of performance,' condemning doping and match-fixing as betrayals of fair play.
- Leo encourages pastoral outreach across elite and grassroots levels, highlighting Athletica Vaticana as a model of service.
- He calls for wider access for the poor and for women, and cautions athletes and fans against a media-fueled cult of image.