Pope hails unifying power of sport ahead of Olympics

"Sport has a great social strength, capable of peacefully uniting people of different cultures," he told pilgrims in St Peter's Square after his weekly Angelus prayer, ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony on Friday in Paris.

This photograph shows the Eiffel Tower bearing the Olympics rings, lit-up ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games, in Paris on July 20, 2024. (AFP)