By Giampaolo Mattei
Since the London 2012 Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Cross has accompanied athletes. The upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games will be no different.
On Thursday, Jan 29, at 6.30 pm, Athletica Vaticana—the official sports association of the Holy See—will present the Cross during a Mass at the Basilica of San Babila in Milan.
Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan will preside with Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, and the president and vice-president of Athletica Vaticana will also be present.
The “Church of Athletes”
The Mass marks the eve of the Olympic Truce, which—according to the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Nov 19—will last from one week before the Olympic Games (starting Feb 6) to one week after the Paralympic Games (the closing ceremony on Mar 15).
During this entire period, the Basilica of San Babila will be transformed into the “Church of Athletes,” hosting various celebrations and events linked to the Games.
Bringing the Cross through the Holy Door
The Cross of Athletes was entrusted to Athletica Vaticana on Jun 14 during the Jubilee of Sport with Pope Leo XIV. It is a spiritual symbol at the heart of global sports.
Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, together with Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, carried the Cross through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.
Athletica Vaticana then received the Cross from a delegation from Paris, who had been sent particularly for the Jubilee, in connection with the 2024 Games. The moment of prayer marked the beginning of the Jubilee pilgrimage from Piazza Pia along the Via Conciliazione to the Holy Door of St Peter’s.
One cross with wood from around the world
The Cross of Athletes was made by English artist Jon Cornwall specifically for the 2012 London Games. This was at the request of the coordination of Catholic initiatives in the Joshua Camp, an international Catholic Olympic gathering.
Fifteen different pieces of wood (including the podium that supports it) make up the Cross. Each piece has been carefully chosen from regions across the world: the Holy Land, China, Russia, North Africa, South Africa, India, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, North America, and the United Kingdom.
From London to Milan
At the closure of the 2012 London Games, the Cross was entrusted to the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.
During the 2013 World Youth Day (WYD) in Brazil, Pope Francis blessed the Cross, which was later present at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Rio.
Due to the COVID pandemic, no events were held for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Instead, the Cross was brought to Lisbon for the 2023 WYD before being placed in Paris in the “Chapel of Athletes” at the Church of La Madeleine. – Vatican News
