Pope Francis Welcomes LEN Members To Vatican Prior To European Championships

Courtesy: LEN

Representatives of the LEN Bureau, led by President Antonio Silva, visited the Vatican on Monday to meet His Holiness Pope Francis, where they discussed preparations for the upcoming European Championships in Rome and were given a personal message to share with the athletes.

• See the Pope’s video message here.

The LEN Bureau were honored to be received in the magnificent Apostolic Place in the Vatican City and to affirm the strong bond uniting sport and wider society, as well as the role of sport as a way to foster peaceful relations and solidarity between people of all races and creeds.

His Holiness Pope Francis said:

“You have come in preparation for the European Aquatics Championships, which will be held in Rome next month. I am happy that our city once more hosts this impressive sporting event. These days we need sports more than ever – real sports! – as a counterbalance to the conflict and hostility weighing down on our world and, sadly, also our continent of Europe.”

Continuing, His Holiness made a statement directly to LEN’s athletes, which we are glad to reproduce in full:

“Dear Athletes,

I send you my greetings from Rome, where, a month from now, you will take part in the European Aquatics Championships. This pleases me greatly, because every great sporting event is a special moment when young people from different countries can encounter and interact with one another, and that is a wonderful sign of hope for the future of our human family. It is also appropriate because Rome is historically a universal city, open to the world, the city from which the Church spreads everywhere the Gospel of fraternity.

I am sure that you, like myself, are saddened because the war in Ukraine casts in shadow on this celebration. At the same time, I would hope that this will make us all the more committed to showing our desire for a world of peace, a world without wars, without hatred between peoples, without nuclear threats.

Dear Athletes, I pray that the European Championships here in Rome will be, for all of you, a serene and joyful experience of friendship and fraternity, and that each of you owill be able to offer, in healthy competition, the very best of yourselves. With affection, I bless all of you and your loved ones. And I would ask you, please, to say a prayer for me.

Thank you!”

President Silva said:

“It was an honour and a privilege to meet His Holiness Pope Francis and to realise how much he loves and understands sport. Sport breaks down all walls and promotes the message of peace and mutual respect. LEN, which represents the European Aquatics movement will do its utmost to deliver these messages in a universal language.”

“I was glad to be able to share with His Holiness the projects that LEN and our National Federations have set in motion to support Ukrainian athletes at this very difficult time,” said President Silva. “We wanted to make clear that LEN wants to celebrate the very best of human values while sending a strong message on solidarity. We want nations to live in peace, to bring down barriers and erase intolerance from our daily life.”

His Holiness was pleased to hear about the excellent progress of preparations for the European Championships, which will gather 1,500 athletes from 50 countries to the historic Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto aquatic centre of the Foro Italico, just 5 kilometres from Vatican City.

“As LEN representatives, we are delighted that Europe’s finest aquatic athletes are returning to Rome next month,” said President Silva. “The culture of water in Rome dates back to ancient times and we now celebrate a new opportunity to celebrate sporting excellence.”