Pope Leo XIV on Sunday blessed the cyclists of the Giro d’Italia before the last leg of the multistage international race, telling them they are all welcome in the Catholic Church.
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Addressing the 159 cyclists in a square just inside Vatican City, the pope said in English: “May God bless all of you on this last part of the Giro d’Italia. Congratulations to all of you, and may you know that you are always welcome here in the Vatican, you are always welcomed by the Church, which represents God’s love for all people.”
In a short address in Italian, Leo praised cycling as an important sport, reminding the world-class athletes that they are models for many young people.
“And I hope that, just as you have learned to care for the body, the spirit too is always blessed, and that you are always attentive to the human being as a whole: body, mind, and spirit,” he added.
The professional race, which started in Albania on May 9, is among the top three most important international multistage races in the world, together with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana. It includes 21 stages, mostly in Italy.
The last leg of the 108th edition of the race took place on June 1, starting from the Caracalla Baths, just south of the Coliseum, and proceeding toward the Vatican.
The 1.8-mile noncompetitive ride through the Vatican started from the Petriano Square, just south of St. Peter’s Basilica inside the city state, where Pope Leo XIV greeted the athletes at the starting line.
The cyclists then followed the Vatican walls past the basilica to climb toward the Vatican Gardens and arrive at the heliport, the highest, westernmost point of the territory.
The racers then pedaled through a green space dotted with Marian images, including a replica of the Lourdes grotto and a mosaic of Our Lady of Good Counsel — a favorite devotion of Pope Leo.
After descending toward the Vatican Museums and the “Square Garden,” the cyclists doubled back along the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica to exit out a side gate on the south side of Vatican City.
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This article was originally published by CNA.
