JPII Games in Holy Land for peace between Israelis and Palestinians

(October 03, 2011) A peace race is being organized later this month in the Holy Land to help Israelis and Palestinians live in a better way together. The “Run for Peace” is among the many sporting activities in which a group of athletes participates each year as part of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The pilgrimage dedicated to John Paul II, and even dubbed JPII Games, will take place October 21-25th. A 12 mile race between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, that will take runners through security checkpoint in Israeli and Palestinian territories, is scheduled for October 24. “The idea of the JPII Games is to offer an occasion in order to use the language of sport to create moments of encounter, and to say that we can actually dream of a better way of living together between Palestinians and Israelis,” said Fr. Caesar Atuire, the administrator delegate of the Vatican’s pilgrimage services known by its Italian abbreviation ORP. This year the pilgrimage is marking its eighth anniversary. The pilgrims will hold a special Mass on October 22 in Nazareth in honour of Blessed John Paul II. This year, 100 young people from Haiti will be joining 300 others from the Palestine territories, Israel and Italy. Another novelty this year will be a soccer game with professional athletes from each one of those countries. ORP vice president, Msgr. Liberio Andreatta hopes this sporting pilgrimage will grow into an international initiative.