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02/06 05:14 CST Pope, an avid athlete, extols physical and spiritual benefits
of sport in Olympic message
Pope, an avid athlete, extols physical and spiritual benefits of sport in
Olympic message
ROME (AP) --- Pope Leo XIV, an avid tennis player and sports fan, marked the
start of the Winter Games on Friday by extolling the positive values of sport
and fair play while warning that the pursuit of profits and performance risked
corrupting sport entirely.
In a message entitled "Life in Abundance" issued on the same day as the Milan
Cortina opening ceremony, Leo traced the history of Christian philosophers and
popes who identified sports and physical activity as beneficial for both
physical and spiritual development.
And he repeated his call for world leaders to respect the ancient tradition of
an Olympic truce.
But drawing on his own experience as an athlete, Leo delved into a nuanced
exploration of the value of sports and the risk when the "dictatorship of
performance" posed by doping, match-fixing and other forms of corruption win
out over fair play.
"Such dishonesty not only corrupts sporting activities themselves, but also
demoralizes the general public and undermines the positive contribution of
sport to society as a whole," he warned.
Popes have a long history of engaging the sporting world to promote values of
peace, solidarity, and friendship, with the Olympics offering them regular
opportunities to recall the ancient tradition of an Olympic truce.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's
collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.
The AP is solely responsible for this content.
