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In
first, Olympics chiefs invite Vatican 'God Squad' to IOC session
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 [February 03, 2018]
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Some go
for gold. Others go for God.
For the first time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has
invited the Vatican to send a delegation to its general meeting next
week in South Korea ahead of the Pyeongchang Winter Games.
The Vatican newspaper l'Osservatore Romano reported on Friday the
delegation will attend in an observer role and be headed by
Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca, an undersecretary with portfolio
for sports at the Vatican Council for Culture, effectively its
culture ministry.
Sanchez de Toca, a former pentathlete, will give IOC president
Thomas Bach and all Korean athletes running vests used by the
Vatican's track team, informally known as the "Pope's Marathoners".
The delegation will also attend the opening ceremony of the games in
Pyeongchang. A Vatican delegation attended the opening ceremony of
the Rio games in 2016.
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The Olympic rings with the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center in the
background at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Mandatory
Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
The IOC could not be reached for comment.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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