Portugal: Economy of Francesco, the national leg of the “Steps for Peace” campaign in Lisbon on 13th July

The “Economy of Francesco – Portugal” group is organising a walk for peace on Saturday 13th July in Lisbon. The event is part of the international “Steps for Peace” campaign, organised by the Economy of Francesco movement to respond to the Pope’s call to “make concrete steps for peace”. The event – the organisers explain in a notice – takes inspiration from the example of St Francis who, 805 years ago, in the midst of the fifth Crusade, went to Egypt to meet Sultan Malik-al-Kamil. In his quest for peace, Francis arrived in Cairo, armed just with his faith and his wish for dialogue. “We too today – the organisers’ notice goes on – live in a world in which peace is a threatened asset, so, inspired by the Saint of Assisi, we must try to preserve it”. The goal of the “Steps for Peace” campaign is to mobilise as many people as possible internationally in a challenge to walk a total of 4,000 kilometres (8 million steps), twhich is he distance between Jerusalem and Assisi. The “Economy of Francesco – Portugal” group announced that two million steps have already been walked in similar walks promoted in other countries, so many more are needed now to achieve the final goal: it is from this perspective that the walk of 13th July in Lisbon is being organised, so that the Portuguese too can take part and make their contribution. The “Steps for Peace” campaign will end the first week of September, when the students of the international summer school of the Economy of Francesco will be walking from Chiusi della Verna to the sanctuary of La Verna, in Italy.
Gianni Borsa