On Sunday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., an inter-religious conference took place on the square in front of Notre-Dame de Paris which answered the question: “How does sport mobilize the best for men and women as well as humanity?”
This conference was under the impetus of Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee. His wish was for this conference to be an echo of the one that took place in 1924 in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Present in the audience were a number of Chaplains who serve in the Olympic Village.
The interventions were given by the representatives of the faiths present in the Multi-Faith Centre in the Olympic Village. Each one spoke of the good will and harmony that exists between them. This is a witness of peace. They also stressed the deep need of athletes for spiritual guidance in the midst of their competitions.
Thomas Bach in his speech spoke about the Olympic values, but he also stressed the fact that “sport cannot answer the questions of life and death or transcendence.” For this, we must turn to religion.
It is also worth noting the good organization of this event. The Holy Games team, under the direction of Isabelle de Chatellus, planned a beautiful celebration that reflects the reality of the Multi-faith Centre in the Olympic Village as well as the Olympic spirit.
By Matthew Glock, who was present at the conference and represents the CNEF 75