On August 19, 2026, the Cathedral of Taranto hosted the celebration welcoming the Cross of Athletes on the occasion of the 20th Mediterranean Games, a sporting event bringing together 26 countries from the Mediterranean region, with the participation of Athletica Vaticana.

Before the Eucharistic celebration, at 7 p.m., the Cross was symbolically presented to a representative group of the National Association of St. Paul – Italy (ANSPI, which brings together a significant network of youth centres in the region), represented by Cristian Piscardi. Presented by Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, to the Archbishop of Taranto, Archibishop Ciro Miniero, the Cross was placed in a designated area for ongoing display inside the Cathedral until September 3.

Addressing an audience of young people from youth centres, athletes, sports pastoral workers, and civil authorities, the Archbishop of Taranto emphasized in his homily the contribution of sport to the building of humanity. Drawing on the thought of Saint Paul and Pope Leo XIV, he highlighted that sport has a human mission, but also that humanity has a mission to care for sport. Referring to the Parable of the Talents, the Gospel passage from the Liturgy of the Word, he stated that what matters most is not individual victory, but what each person can offer to the community by giving their very best.

At the end of Mass, Msgr. Alessandro Greco, Vicar General of the Archdiocese, read Pope Leo XIV’s message, in which he invites everyone to make these Games a prophecy of fraternity and peace for this maritime region. The message was subsequently personally presented, in written form, by the Archbishop to all the civil authorities present, as well as to representatives of the organization of the Mediterranean Games. It was a symbolic gesture aimed at strengthening the commitment of the Church and society to building sport that is for everyone and with everyone.

At the end, representing the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Bishop Paul Tighe thanked the Archdiocese of Taranto for welcoming the Cross of Athletes. Using the metaphor of the sea, he explained the distinctive character of the Mediterranean Sea: it is not a sea that presents itself as a frontier, a boundary, or a form of protection, but rather as a space of encounter between three continents, with different cultures, beliefs, and languages. For this reason, difference is not an adversity but a richness. He also called for a new interpretation of the word “victory,” which cannot be a word of discrimination that divides people into winners and losers, but rather a word that concerns everyone. Before the Cross of Christ, to which the Cross of Athletes refers, we are all winners: through it, we overcome death and attain life in abundance. Thus, it is a cross that offers us absolute hope.

@cattedraletaranto