As the world gathers for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, one quiet but powerful symbol has taken its place alongside the global spectacle: the Cross of the Athletes.
Now standing near the main altar inside Milan’s Basilica of San Babila, the cross is far less known than the Olympic flame. But for those who encounter it, it offers a striking message — not just of faith, but of connection through sport. It’s crafted from 15 pieces of wood, each sourced from a different part of the world, representing all five continents.
“We think of sport not as an instrument that separates, but as one that unites,” said Rev. Stefano Guidi of the Archdiocese of Milan. “The cross represents this precisely through the way it was created.”
Built by English artist Jon Cornwall ahead of the 2012 London Games, the cross has since traveled to every host city for the Olympics — except Tokyo, due to pandemic restrictions. Its arrival in Milan continues that tradition. For a few weeks, the historic San Babila church has been designated the “Church of Athletes.”
On a recent morning, locals stopped by to admire it during Mass. Giovanna Spotti, a Milan resident, said the cross held deep meaning. “It moves us a great deal,” she said. “And San Babila is important because it is a very old church, truly characteristic of Milan.”
The cross is part of a broader initiative by the Catholic Church to recognize sport as a force for good — for peace, for growth, and for human dignity. In a message titled Life in Abundance, released to coincide with the Games’ opening, Pope Leo XIV emphasized sport’s ability to unite across differences.
“It teaches us that we can strive for the highest level without denying our own fragility,” the pope wrote. “That we can win without humiliating others, and that we can lose without being defeated as individuals.”
To reflect the international nature of the Olympics, San Babila is also hosting Masses in multiple languages, including Italian, English, French, and German. At one recent German-language service, the priest, Rev. Stefano Chiarolla, smiled as he asked German speakers to raise their hands — and found just one, an Italian man named Marino Parodi.
“I searched on the web and I found this option,” Parodi said. “I was glad to find it.”
The Archdiocese of Milan is using the Games as an opportunity to highlight values of fraternity and inclusion. Alongside the cross and multilingual services, there’s a youth-focused “Tour of Sports Values,” plus art exhibitions, concerts, and inclusive sporting events.
The Cross of the Athletes will travel again in 2028 to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But for now, in the heart of Milan, it offers athletes and visitors alike a moment of calm — and a reminder of what the Games, at their best, are really about.
