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The Catholic archdiocese of Milan has turned a historic church into a temporary “Church of Athletes” for the 2026 Winter Olympics, spotlighting a wooden “Cross of the Athletes” and using multilingual Masses to frame the Games as an event for fraternity. The cross is on display beside the main altar at the Basilica of San Babila in Milan, where the church’s Olympic designation is tied directly to its role during the competitions.
Rev. Stefano Guidi, who heads the Archdiocese of Milan’s Service for Oratories and Sport, described the cross as an expression of how the archdiocese views sport. “We think of sport not as an instrument that separates, but as one that unites,” Guidi said, adding that the cross “represents this precisely through the way it was created.”
The cross is distinctive in its materials and origin story. The English artist Jon Cornwall crafted it using 15 pieces of wood taken from continents around the world, and AP reports the cross made its debut at the London Olympics in 2012. For each Games it visits, the cross’s arrival has been marked by special ceremonies, AP reported, with an exception during Tokyo because of pandemic-era travel restrictions.
The cross also has ties to recent church events. AP reported that last June it was in the Vatican for the Jubilee of Sport, celebrated with Pope Leo XIV, who has a longstanding personal connection to sport. The next stop AP said is expected is Los Angeles for the 2028 Games.
In Milan, officials and church materials link the cross to a wider Catholic message about sport and unity. A document AP cited from the Vatican’s culture ministry, including its sports department, describes the cross as “a Christian message addressed to the entire world of sport,” portraying it as “a sign of hope for humanity” and “a proposal of peace among peoples.” AP also reported that, on the same day as the Milan Cortina opening ceremony, Leo XIV issued a message titled “Life in Abundance,” writing that sport brings people together and that it teaches participants they can strive for the highest level without denying their fragility, win without humiliating others, and lose without being defeated as individuals.
Some visitors say the cross’s presence draws attention to what they see as the Games’ broader meaning. AP reported that on a February morning, Giovanna Spotti and her husband attended Mass at San Babila and paused to closely admire the display. Spotti, who lives nearby, said the cross moves her “because it is displayed and venerated here,” and she added that San Babila is important to her because it is “a very old church, truly characteristic of Milan.”
Alongside the cross, the archdiocese is highlighting language access during the Olympic period through Mass schedules. AP reported that the diocese has designated San Babila as the Church of Athletes during both the Olympics and Paralympics and that the church is holding Masses in Italian, English, French and German.
The reporting described the first Mass on Feb. 8 as taking place in Italian, with a homily centered on fraternity over individualism and unity beyond divisions. Later, AP said, Rev. Stefano Chiarolla celebrated a German-language Mass; AP reported that attendees were Italian, and Chiarolla said the initiative still mattered. “Multilingual Masses are a sign of welcome,” he said, and he asked German speakers to raise their hands at the end of his homily, smiling when only one Italian man did.
AP reported that Marino Parodi raised his hand during that moment and said family issues prevented him from attending the earlier service. He told AP he searched online and found the German-language option and was glad to have the chance to attend.
AP said the cross and the multilingual Masses are part of a broader Catholic program for unity during the 2026 Winter Olympics, including a youth-focused “Tour of Sports Values,” cultural exhibitions, a theatrical performance, concerts, inclusive sports initiatives, and art routes through some of Milan’s historic churches.