Olympics opening ceremony live updates as 2026 Winter Games kick off in Milano Cortina

Pope Leo XIV, an avid sports fan, marked the start of the Winter Games on Friday by extolling the positive values of sport and fair play while warning that the pursuit of profits and performance risked corrupting sport entirely.

In a message entitled “Life in Abundance,” Leo traced the history of Christian philosophers and popes who identified sports and leisure activities as beneficial for both physical and spiritual development.

He called for sport to be accessible to both poor people and women, especially, and for fans to refrain from turning sport into a fanatical religion. Athletes, too, he said, must refrain from narcissism and becoming obsessed with their image and success.

“The cult of image and performance, amplified by media and digital platforms, risks fragmenting the person, separating body from mind and spirit,” he warned.

True sport, he said, calls for a “shared ethical accord” between competitors, where the rules of the game are accepted and the integrity of the contest is respected.

“Accepting the limits of one’s body, the limits of time and fatigue, and respecting the established rules means recognizing that success comes from discipline, perseverance and loyalty,” he said.

Leo, 70, religiously plays tennis and swims, and is a longtime fan of the Chicago White Sox.

The pontiff drew on his experience as a tennis player in his message, noting the cultural and spiritual benefits of the so-called “flow experience,” of being challenged beyond one’s level, that both fans and players alike can experience in a prolonged tennis rally.

“The reason this is one of the most enjoyable parts of a match is that each player pushes the other to the limit of his or her skill level,” Leo wrote. “The experience is exhilarating, and the two players challenge each other to improve; this is as true for two ten-year-olds as it is for two professional champions.”

-CBS/AP