ecumenism" "
An ecumenical celebration officiated by the local bishops, Msgr. Leo Nowak (Catholic) and by the Evangelical bishop Axel Noack, was held in the cathedral of Magdeburg on 3 October, to mark “German Unity Day”, the anniversary of Germany’s reunification. Also present at the service were the President of the Federal German Republic, Johannes Rau, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the apostolic nuncio in Germany, Msgr. Giovanni Lajolo (appointed Secretary of the department of relations with States in the Holy See’s Secretariat of State on 7 October) and the President of the Evangelical Churches of Dessau, Helge Klassohn. The homily, jointly pronounced by the two bishops, was focused on the Magnificat; the reflections of Nowak and Noack touched on the Christian values in Europe and democracy. “Both in terms of values and goals, our European society derives its origin from the concept of a loving God”, said Nowak. “Freedom is not arbitrary, but is the choice of particular contents and objectives: for example, the choice of the superior good of democracy, the obligation to obey a specific Constitution both in Germany and in Europe, and the respect for human dignity from birth to death”. Nowak also urged that “the search for justice and peace” should never cease. “One of our problems in democracy consists of the fact that people’s fear in their rulers and their dependence on parties and interest groups is constantly growing”, remarked Noack. But “whoever is conscious of his own responsibilities before God, can also answer for them before man”.
