Catholic priest reveals that Masses were banned for athletes at Olympics

Olympic rings with the Eiffel Tower in the background in Paris. Photo: tysol.pl

Catholic priest and chaplain for the Polish Olympic team, Edward Pleń, shared that the organizers prohibited the celebration of Masses for athletes.

Edward Pleń, who has served as a chaplain for Polish athletes for over 20 years, expressed his bewilderment and frustration over the restrictions on religious freedom at the Paris Olympic Games.

The Catholic priest encountered unexpected difficulties in organizing Masses for athletes, which came as an unpleasant surprise to him.

According to Pleń, he was not allowed to celebrate Mass in the Olympic Village, being told that only prayer was permitted there. This situation was a shock for him, especially given that such restrictions had not been imposed at previous Olympics.

"The Holy Mass is not just a prayer, but an important spiritual ritual for many athletes. I cannot understand why we were deprived of the opportunity to hold the Eucharist," the chaplain stated.

He noted that even at the Olympics in Tokyo and Beijing, in predominantly non-Christian Japan and China, despite pandemic restrictions, it was still possible to organize services, albeit with limitations.

Pleń emphasized that for many athletes, faith plays a crucial role in their lives, especially during significant moments like the Olympic Games, and restrictions like those in Paris could negatively impact the moral and spiritual well-being of the athletes.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, the organizers staged an anti-Christian performance, which included a blasphemous parody of the Last Supper.

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