The current president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, met with Pope Leo XIV in Rome this weekend in a private meeting. During the meeting, both leaders emphasized the importance of the Olympic values of solidarity and peace, and discussed how to strengthen them in an increasingly divided world.
The meeting took place within the framework of the Jubilee of Sport, an event organized by the Vatican to celebrate the connection between sport and faith, as part of the Jubilee celebrations. The visit included a special mass at St. Peter’s Basilica and the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.
Messages of peace from the Olympic Games
During the meeting, Thomas Bach informed the Pope about the message of peace issued by the athletes before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This message, which united athletes from all National Olympic Committees and the Olympic Refugee Team, included athletes from countries in conflict such as Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine, Iran, and Yemen.
The IOC president highlighted how the Olympic Games conveyed a message of hope and unity to the world, demonstrating the power of sport to overcome divisions and promote peaceful coexistence.
The refugee team
Another topic discussed was the work of the Refugee Olympic Team and the Olympic Refuge Foundation, which brings the benefits of sport to refugee camps and migration centers around the world. The Pope praised these initiatives and highlighted the role of sport as a “school of respect and justice,” encouraging those present to practice these values and reject any form of violence or oppression.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence was also a central topic of conversation. Thomas Bach explained the IOC’s strategy to harness the benefits of AI while preserving human dignity. He stressed the importance of ensuring that technological advances benefit everyone, not just a privileged few, in line with the Olympic movement’s values of solidarity.
The Pope, for his part, stressed that sport is not just a matter of physical performance, but also a path to humanity. “In a competitive society where it seems that only the strong and the winners deserve to live, sport also teaches us how to lose.”
