The world has united in recent hours to pay tribute to the memory of Pope Francis. A victim of serious health problems that left him hospitalized for several weeks, The Argentinian died on Monday at the age of 88.Thomas Bach was quick to pay tribute to him. Respectively elected to head the Catholic Church and the International Olympic Committee in 2013, six months apart, Francis and the IOC president have always walked side by side. The two men met regularly and displayed a constant closeness, particularly in their consideration of refugee populations.
Leave no one behind
Francis's pontificate has been marked by solidarity with migrants and refugees. He notably traveled to the island of Lesbos to visit a refugee camp in 2016. Thomas Bach emphasized, " His support for the Olympic Games' mission of peace and solidarity and the IOC's refugee initiatives has been unwavering. "The leader of the Olympic movement thus praised the role played by the Pope in the realization of an Olympic team for refugees: " His tireless advocacy for refugees inspired me to create the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He has graciously guided and supported this initiative throughout three Olympic Games, encouraging its growth and impact. »
Ten athletes, half from South Sudan, competed in Rio under this banner. There were 29 in Tokyo and 37 in Paris, from eleven different countries. This success was reinforced by the first medal in the team's history, won by Cameroonian boxer Cindy Ngamba. "I follow with attention and emotion the personal stories of refugee athletes, explained the Pope in 2022. May their testimonies help encourage civil societies to open up to all, with ever greater confidence, leaving no one behind.
Sport “as a means of encouraging peace”
Francis has always seen sport as a formidable lever for cohesion and unity. The Vatican hosted an International Summit on Sport in September 2022, a “A wonderful initiative that shows how faith and sport can complement each other.”, Thomas Bach welcomed. On the sidelines of the event, the Pope praised the initiatives taken by the IOC, in particular the support provided to refugees through the Refugee Olympic Team and the Olympic Refuge Foundation. "I wish to encourage organizations like yours, which promote sport—especially among younger generations—as a means of encouraging peace, sharing, and harmonious coexistence among peoples. Sport tends to unite rather than divide!", said the sovereign pontiff in 2013 when receiving the Olympic Gold Order.
Last summer, a few days before the opening of the Paris 2024 Games, he presented the Olympic Games as "an opportunity not to be missed to discover and appreciate each other, to break down prejudices, to create esteem where there is contempt and mistrust, friendship where there is hatred.". Unconditional support of the Olympic Movement, he also received the president of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSS) Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye in 2023 to convey his encouragement and support for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games. An event “very important for African youth and the youth of the world” according to him. The words he spoke in 2022 resonate as the perfect summary of his vision for the Movement: " Sport, with its universal language, can build bridges of friendship and solidarity between individuals and peoples of all cultures and religions. This is why I appreciate the fact that to the original Olympic motto, "Faster, Higher, Stronger," the International Olympic Committee has added the word "Together": so that the Olympic Games may bring about a more fraternal world. »
