The Roman Catholic Church is planning to include people in religious activities during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Reports say conversationEight Catholic dioceses based in Paris organized the “Sacred Games,” a joint project of the Archdiocese of Paris and the French Bishops’ Conference.
Those taking part in the Sacred Games will take part in three programs lasting one week each, two of which will take place during the Olympic Games and the third during the Paralympic Games.
Missionaries, Catholics and other spectators gather at the Sacred Games to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games, celebrate Mass and fellowship through a variety of cultural activities.
according to Lacroix InternationalAccording to the French Catholic newspaper , the Catholic Church in France sees the Olympics as an opportunity to evangelize using the influence of sport.
“Sports fosters brotherhood and allows us to proclaim the faith in a peaceful way,” said Permanent Deacon Frédéric Deren, president of the Versailles diocese. “Each parish is called to give prominence to this event.”
“We want to present a welcoming and vibrant Church,” added Parish Priest Roger Villegas, who represents the diocese of Nanterre. “It’s about fostering team spirit, reminding everyone that no one is alone and promoting a sense of solidarity.”
Meanwhile, more than 70 French Catholic parishes near the Olympic venues are welcoming visitors, Multilingual celebration.
Throughout history, the Catholic Church has emphasized that sports can be a means of teaching Christian values. In 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote a letter to the clergy defending the rights of workers, emphasizing that they “should have leisure and rest.” Since then, subsequent popes, including Pius X, Pius XII, John Paul II and Francis, have also been involved with sports organizations and faith.
Pope Francis now sees sport as a tool for peacebuilding: in a video address before the start of the 2014 World Cup, he emphasized that “sport is a school of peace, it teaches us how to build peace.”
The Paris Olympics will run from July 26th to August 11th. 2024 and on The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place from August 28th to September 8th. Both events are expected to involve more than 10,000 athletes from 205 countries and around 40,000 volunteers.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Pierre Crom/Stringer
