Members of the Austrian Ski Association met Pope Francis at The Vatican on Thursday ahead of Saalbach Hinterglemm hosting the the FIS World Alpine Ski Championships this winter, from 4 to 16 February, 2025.
The meeting is reported to have taken place in The Sala del Concistoro (Hall of the Consistory), a large hall on the third loggia of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City.
87-year-old Pope Francis told the gathered Austrians."Your homeland, rich in majestic mountains, offers excellent possibilities for alpine sports. Your association, Ski Austria, founded in 1905, aims to promote the various skiing activities nationwide, especially the athletes in their outstanding performances. I would like to encourage all of you to always cultivate in your endeavours the values inherent to sport: such as constancy, sincerity, friendship, solidarity. Constancy, sincerity, friendship, solidarity. In this way you make your contribution to a more fraternal world, because sport creates brotherhood, in order to sing, amidst the wonders of nature in your country, the hymn of praise to the Creator. May the Lord accompany you and the Guardian Angels protect you from every danger. I pray for you and you, pray for me,"