Pope calls Olympics opportunity to foster peace, understanding

Published: 2004-08-09

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- In a world racked by hate and violence, the Olympic Games usher in an important opportunity to foster peace and mutual understanding among all people, said Pope John Paul II. On the Sunday before the start of the Aug. 13-29 Olympics in Athens, Greece, the pope offered "best wishes" to all those taking part in the Games and asked that it be "an occasion for a serene gathering" of peoples. Before praying the Angelus Aug. 8, the pope underlined his hopes that in a "world which is troubled and sometimes unsettled by so many forms of hate and violence ... the important sporting event of the Games" also be used "to promote mutual understanding and peace among all peoples." The pope offered his best wishes to the officials, national representatives, athletes and other participants in this year's Olympic events.

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