To Members of the “Federazione Italiana Nuoto”, the Italian Swimming Federation (25 June 2026)

ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO MEMBERS OF THE “FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA NUOTO”, THE ITALIAN SWIMMING FEDERATION

Clementine Hall
Thursday, 25 June 2026

[Multimedia]

__________________

In the identify of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!

It is with pleasure that I meet all of you, leaders of the Italian Swimming Federation, athletes, and members of the delegations collaborating within the International Swimming Competition – the 62nd Sette Colli Trophy.

Sport is a drugs for each physique and spirit, when it’s practiced properly. It integrates the completely different dimensions of the human particular person and directs them towards essential values comparable to dedication, solidarity, and honesty. In sporting actions, particularly on the aggressive degree, human beings train their willpower, however they achieve this to the extent that they’re motivated. And right here the standard of an athlete turns into evident: it’s revealed by the standard of his or her motivations.

Sport can also be a chance for religious progress. Swimming, on this regard, has one thing particular about it. Indeed, we practise it whereas being immersed in a component – water – that surrounds us. This symbolically recollects a side that has been a part of us since our mom’s womb: to stay means studying to maneuver in concord with others and with the surroundings round us. For us Christians, furthermore, water is a logo of Baptism and of recent life in Christ.

There is, nonetheless, one more reason why I’m glad of your presence. All of you, coming from completely different nations, have gathered right here, impressed by the identical ardour and the identical values, past each distinction of language, nationality, and tradition. This actuality, typical of worldwide sporting occasions, provides an indication of hope, an indication of the world we want; it contributes to peaceable encounters amongst peoples and to fraternity.

Therefore, I encourage you to proceed working towards and spreading the values of sport. The years of athletic competitors cross, however these values stay! I entrust you to the intercession of Pier Giorgio Frassati – a younger sportsman who liked the mountains dearly – and with all my coronary heart I bless all of you and your family members. Thank you!

_______________________

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 25 June 2026