Pope Leo XIV Says Sport is ‘Medicine for Body and Spirit’ at International Swimming Championships

Vatican, June 26, 2026: Pope Leo XIV on Thursday described sport as “medicine for the body and the spirit” as he met members of the Italian Swimming Federation and participants in the International Swimming Championships at the Vatican.

The meeting coincided with the 62nd Sette Colli Trophy, being held at Rome’s historic Foro Italico Swimming Stadium from June 26 to 28. The championship serves as a final qualifying event ahead of the upcoming European Championships and Mediterranean Games.

Addressing the athletes and organisers, Pope Leo said sport, when approached in the right spirit, helps integrate different dimensions of human life and guides people toward values that shape society.

“It integrates the various dimensions of the person and directs them toward very important values, such as commitment, solidarity, and honesty,” he said.

Reflecting on competitive sports, the Pope noted that athletes reveal the depth of their motivations through discipline, determination, and perseverance.

“An athlete reveals the quality of their motivations as they exercise willpower and drive to perform,” he said.

Pope Leo gave particular attention to swimming, describing it as a sport that carries deep symbolic meaning because it takes place in water — an element that surrounds and sustains life.

“Swimming is practiced while immersed in an element, water, which surrounds the person,” he said. “This symbolically recalls an aspect that has shaped us from our mother’s womb: to live means learning to move in harmony with others and with the environment around us.”

Drawing on Christian symbolism, the Pope said water also reflects the meaning of Baptism and new life in Christ.

Highlighting the international nature of the Sette Colli Trophy, Pope Leo said athletes from different nations come together through a shared passion that rises above cultural and linguistic differences.

“This aspect, which is typical of international sporting events, offers a sign of hope, a sign of the world we desire,” he said. “It contributes to peaceful encounter among peoples and to fraternity.”

Encouraging swimmers to continue promoting the values found in sport, Pope Leo entrusted them to the intercession of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.

“The age of competition passes, but those values remain!” he said.

Courtesy: Vatican News