His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, expressed on Friday his hope that the Olympic Games Paris 2024 would be an unmissable opportunity for all those who come from around the world to discover and appreciate each other, to break down prejudices, to foster esteem where there is contempt and mistrust, and friendship where there is hatred.

‘’The Olympic Games are, by their very nature, about peace, not war, said Pope Francis in his message for the Olympic Games a week before the competitions are set to begin.

welcoming this prestigious international sporting event, to be held from 26 July to 11 August, His Holiness added that sport is a universal language that transcends frontiers, languages, races, nationalities and religions; it has the capacity to unite people, to encourage dialogue and mutual acceptance; it stimulates the surpassing of oneself, forms the spirit of sacrifice, fosters loyalty in interpersonal relations; it invites people to recognise their own limits and the value of others.

‘’The Olympic Games, if they remain truly “games”, can therefore be an exceptional meeting place between peoples, even the most hostile.’’

‘’On a broader level, I hope that the organisation of these Games will provide the people of France with a wonderful opportunity for fraternal harmony, enabling them to transcend differences and oppositions and strengthen the unity of the Nation,’’ he said.