An unprecedented step in the Vatican to honor Pope Francis
It’s historical. The runners of the Tour of Italy will cross for the first time the highly symbolic enclosure of the Vatican. On June 1, before the start of the 21st and last stage of the Giro d’Italia, the 180 participants will drive slowly in the alleys of the Holy See.
An unforgettable course of three kilometers: Vatican gardens rarely accessible to the public, at the Sainte-Marthe residence where Pope Francis lived, before leaving the Porta del Perugino, the gateway to the southern and west sectors of the Vatican.
A unique opportunity to pay a solemn tribute to Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88. Because the Argentinian pontiff is precisely at the origin of this stopover, he who has shown numerous occasions his attachment to sport. A practice that promotes fraternity, peace and unity.
“In road cycling, we see how during races the whole team works together … and when a member of the team crosses a difficult moment, his teammates support and accompany him. Likewise, in everyday life, it is necessary to cultivate a spirit of altruism, generosity and community to help those who find it difficult to move forward and who need help to achieve a determined goal, “he said one day in 2019.
“Pope Francis was very interested in sport”
A message that did not go unnoticed among the organizers of the Tour of Italy. “The departure of the city of the Vatican, desired by Pope Francis in the year of the jubilee, adds a particular emotion at this stage,” revealed Mauro Vegni, director of the Giro, according to Cadena Ser, Spanish radio. “It will be a memorable day, in tribute to Rome and the message of hope left by Pope Francis,” he continued.
An initiative also welcomed within the Curia. “The negotiations were difficult, but the enthusiasm of Pope Francis for this project made it possible to open the doors,” recalled Monsseigneur Paul Tighe, the secretary of the Dicaster for Culture and Education, according to Franceinfo. ” It is a way to celebrate his memory, to pay tribute to him, but also to tell the new pope to be attentive to the reality and the importance of the links between the Church and the sport, “completed Bishop Tighe.
A first in the Vatican since the creation of the Tour
At the start, the idea of Pope Francis was to kick off this last stage “in order to promote the Vatican and the eternal city for the year 2025,” said Giro director Mauro Vegni to the Associated Press.
Like his rare predecessors, Paul VI who launched on Saint-Pierre Place the 57th edition on May 16, 1974 and Jean-Paul II, who on May 13, 2000 offered his blessing to runners before departure. But since its creation in 1909, the peloton of the Tour of Italy had never yet crossed the smallest state in the world. Undeniably, the spirit of Jorge Bergoglio will mark its 2025 edition of its imprint.
