Winter Olympians are being welcomed to the ‘Church of Athletes’ in Milan, with the arrival of the specially-made wooden cross to promote unity and physical striving.

The Cross of the Athletes has been placed next to the main altar in the Basilica of San Babila, where athletes, coaches and supporters have been attending Mass. 

The Vatican’s culture ministry describes the cross as “carrying the prayers and hopes of athletes” and a “Christian message addressed to the entire world of sport, a sign of hope for humanity, and a proposal of peace among peoples.”

Wood from five continents was used, reflecting the five Olympic rings, crafted by English artist Jon Cornwall for the London 2012 games. 

The cross has featured in every Olympics, bar Tokyo 2020 because of pandemic restrictions, and was displayed in the Vatican for the Jubilee of Sport last year. 

Masses are being celebrated in Italian, English, French and German through the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The archdiocese hopes this will help in efforts to foster unity during the games. 

The basilica is in the heart of Milan, one of the main host cities for the competition. 

As the games began, Pope Leo issued a letter “on the value of sport”. He is a sports fan, tennis player and supporter of the baseball team the Chicago White Sox. 

He wrote: “Sport, as we know, can be very professional in nature and highly specialized. As such, it is a calling for relatively few people, even though it elicits the admiration and heartfelt enthusiasm of many who identify with the victories or defeats of the athletes.

“But sport is also a shared activity, open to all and salutary for both body and spirit, even becoming a universal expression of our humanity."

He added: “It teaches us that we can strive for the highest level without denying our own fragility; that we can win without humiliating others; and that we can lose without being defeated as individuals."

Pope Leo also praised how the Olympic movement has been a force for peace and building a better world.