Three Vatican dicasteries have joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in an appeal for “world leaders to seek just an peaceful solutions to all disputes and conflicts.”

Using an image often invoked by Pope Francis, the statement decries a “world war being fought piecemeal,” and laments that “countless mothers, fathers, sons and daughters are living in fear, unable to practice their faith, pursue their dreams for a better life, or even simply to play sport.”

The statement is signed by Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, and by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonca, the prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life; and Cardinal Michael Czerny, the prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.