Pope Francis calls for Olympic truce for countries at war

Pope Francis on Sunday voiced his hope that the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide an opportunity for countries at war to respect an ancient Greek tradition and establish a truce for the duration of the Games.

"According to ancient tradition, may the Olympics be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars, demonstrating a sincere will for peace," Francis said during his Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope stressed that sport also has "a great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people from different cultures."