IOC President Thomas Bach Pays Tribute to Pope Francis

IOC President Thomas Bach today expressed deep condolences on behalf of the sports world following the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. A steadfast supporter of the Olympic Movement, Pope Francis was awarded the Olympic Order in Gold in 2013 for his recognition of sport’s role in youth development and his vision for peace.

“With Pope Francis’ passing, we lose a great friend and strong supporter of the Olympic Movement,” Bach said. “He consistently backed the Olympic mission of peace and solidarity, as well as our refugee-related initiatives.”

“I knew him as a wise, humble, thoughtful man with a great sense of humor. His passion for sport and Olympic values was always clear. I’m deeply grateful for the inspiration and support he gave during our many meetings,” Bach added, referring to multiple private audiences with the Pope.

“Throughout my presidency, his encouragement gave strength to our mission of building a better world through sport. His advocacy for refugees inspired the creation of the first Refugee Olympic Team in Rio 2016 and later the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2017,” said Bach.

In 2016, under the Pope’s leadership, the Vatican, UN, and IOC co-hosted the “Sport at the Service of Humanity” conference. In 2022, he launched the “Sport for All” summit, reinforcing his commitment to inclusion through sport.

Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Pope Francis said, “It will be a joy to welcome the whole world to the Olympics.” He praised the Games for uniting people and called them “a chance to express true fraternity — something the world urgently needs.”

In January, during his final private audience with President Bach, the Pope expressed gratitude for the Games’ message of peace and solidarity, fully supporting the Olympic call for unity.