Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Loreto (Fides Service) - Yesterday afternoon, 2 September in Loreto runners began the first lap of a special relay race which will conclude with the arrival of Pope John Paul II on Sunday. This ‘record’ relay race organised by the CSI (Centro Sportivo Italiano) and Catholic Action on the occasion of its pilgrimage-feast in Loreto. Three days, about 60 hours, and circa 45,000 runners will run a hundred metres and then pass on the baton carrying a message of peace and hope for the world. The race aims to cover in spirit the journey from Loreto - Bethlehem - Baghdad, a distance of about 4,500 km.
“Our idea was to draw attention once again to the value of peace, peace made not so much of words, slogans, flags or politics. But a peace made of concrete actions and gestures on the part of everyone not just a few” Edio Costantini, National CSI President explained. “As sportsmen we thought of saying this with a relay race. We want to say that peace is built with many bricks, a hundred metres per person, small acts, respect for the rules, dialogue, patience, communion.” The race will be run on a four-lane track of 100 metres set in the square in front of the Church of the Shrine of Loreto. On Saturday 4 September the race will move to Montorso valley where the final lap will coincide with the arrival of the Pope for Mass on Sunday morning. Runners will include, besides professional athletes some of whom took part in the recent Olympic Games, students, adults, representatives of the world of sport, entertainment, music, journalism, politics and the Church.
As the race is run there will be a collection in aid of two concrete peace projects: A CSI and Ain Arik project in Palestine, to build structures and organise activities of sport and an AC project "A Home for Iraq", as a sign of solidarity with that troubled land. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 3/9/2004; Righe 23 - Parole 334)
