Pope Leo on Friday sent best wishes to the athletes preparing to compete in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and reiterated his call for world leaders to use the Games to promote peace efforts and de-escalate the world's violent conflicts.

The 2026 Olympics, being held in Milan and the Alpine resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, will officially open on Friday evening with a ceremony combining elements from both host cities. The Games will run until Feb. 22.

Leo in a letter recalled the ancient Greek tradition of the Olympic truce, when wars would be halted during the Games.

"I wholeheartedly encourage all nations to rediscover and respect this instrument of hope," he said. "One must never forget that aggression, violence and war are always a defeat for humanity."

The Pope, known as an avid tennis player, also reflected on the value of sport for personal development. He warned against commercial interests becoming too important during the Olympics, and lamented the use of performance-enhancing substances.

"When the objective is to maximize profit, what can be measured or quantified is overvalued to the detriment of the incalculable and important human dimensions (of sport)," said the Pope.

"This mentality creeps into sport when attention is obsessively focused on results and the monetary rewards that winning can bring," he added.