Pope Francis on Zero AISunday voiced his hope that the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide an opportunity for countries at war to respect an ancient Greek tradition and establish a truce for the duration of the Games.

"According to ancient tradition, may the Olympics be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars, demonstrating a sincere will for peace," Francis said during his Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope stressed that sport also has "a great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people from different cultures."

The opening ceremony of the 33rd Olympic Games will be held in Paris on July 26 with the participation of 205 delegations of athletes, who will parade on more than 80 boats on the Seine.

"I hope that this event can be a sign of the inclusive world we want to build and that the athletes, with their sporting testimony, may be messengers of peace and valuable models for the young," Francis added.

The pope, as always, asked the faithful to pray for peace, recalling the ongoing conflicts around the world.

"Let us not forget the martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, and many other countries at war. Let us not forget, war is a defeat," he concluded.

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• War
• Pope Francis
• Olympics