These Are The Religious Accommodations Available At The Rio Olympics
Olympic Village houses a multi-faith center complete with chaplains and prayer spaces.
Olympic Village features a multi-faith center with chaplains and prayer spaces representing Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. RICARDO MORAES / REUTERS
07/27/2016
05:39 pm ET
Antonia Blumberg
Associate Religion Editor, The Huffington Post
The Olympic Games bring people together across nations, faiths and backgrounds. Whether it was ever intended to be or not, the festive competition may just be the largest interfaith gathering in the world.
More than 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries will compete in the Rio 2016 Olympics, which is expected to draw millions of visitors from around the world. During its busiest periods, the Rio 2016 committee expects over 17,000 athletes and officials will be living in the Olympic village.
With such a turnout, the Olympic committee is preparing for a high demand on spiritual resources. To satisfy that need, Olympic and Paralympic Village feature a multi-faith center with chaplains and prayer spaces representing Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism.
“Our job is to provide athletes with a place where they can find comfort and spiritual peace, whatever their religion,” Father Leandro Lenin Tavares, a Rio de Janeiro priest coordinating the center, said in a statement. “We are a symbol of peace, brotherhood and the unity of peoples.”
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