Pope Leo Tells Special Olympics Athletes They ‘Remind Everyone of the True Values of Life’

Pope Leo XIV met with a delegation of Special Olympics athletes at the Vatican on Sept. 19 to discuss the educational and moral benefits of sports. The group consisted of Italian athletes who participated in the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin.

The pope told the athletes that sports teach noble and authentic values through hard work and serious commitment. He encouraged the participants to live holy lives by following the example of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, whom he described as a young sportsman who translated athletic values into a generous and holy life.

The Special Olympics is an international organization founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to promote sports for people with intellectual disabilities. The organization operates in more than 190 countries and includes approximately 5 million athletes worldwide.