Pope Leo XIV: Sport is an opportunity for spiritual growth

The pope met with members of the Italian Swimming Federation at the Vatican on June 25.

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Pope Leo XIV this week emphasized that sports are important for spiritual growth and human development.
In a private audience with members of the Italian Swimming Federation on June 25, the pontiff highlighted the value of competitive sport as a means of instilling important values and fostering the growth of the body and mind.

Pope Leo XIV greets members of the Italian Swimming Federation during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on June 25, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

“Sport, when practiced well, is medicine for both body and spirit,” Leo said in his remarks. “It integrates the different dimensions of the human person and directs them toward very important values such as commitment, solidarity, and honesty.”
To the swimmers present in the audience, the pope also highlighted the environmental and theological significance of water.
“[Swimming] symbolically recalls an aspect that has been part of us since our motherʼs womb: to live means learning to move in harmony with others and with the environment around us. For us Christians, moreover, water is a symbol of Baptism and of new life in Christ,” Leo said.
Leo has frequently emphasized the value of sport since the beginning of his pontificate.
On the eve of the Milano-Cortona Winter Olympic Games in February, the pope published the letter Life in Abundance on the importance of sports in personal formation.
He also declared his prayer intention for the month of June to be for the value of sports and for sports to promote peace.