city mission" "
A “city mission” for the new evangelization has been launched in four European capitals. The archbishop of Vienna hails a widespread desire for religious expression Four years of mission for the new evangelization of four European capitals: Vienna, Paris, Lisbon and Brussels will each host in turn each year, up till 2006, the “International Congress for the new evangelization”, two intensive weeks in which, apart from scope for reflection, new experiments in urban evangelization will be conducted. “Open the doors to Christ”: with this slogan, the initiative was launched in Vienna on 4 May with concerts, gospel music and songs. Given the task of organizing the mission, at the European level, is the “Emmanuel” community, founded by Pierre Gousart and Martine Laffitte in France in 1972. After the Austrian capital, where the city mission will take place from 23 May 2002 to 1st June 2003, the initiative will continue in Paris in 2004, in Lisbon in 2005 and end in Brussels in 2006. We interviewed Cardinal Christoph Schönborn , archbishop of Vienna, who was one of the first to promote the project. How does the need for God emerge in cities that “seem” to be ever more de-christianized? “There are clear signs of a ‘rediscovery of God’ especially in the big cities. This is clearly testified by the results of the last major survey conducted by the well-known pastoral theologian Paul Zulehner on the values and religious attitudes of the Viennese. In recent years we have witnessed the ‘falsification’ of the thesis that progressive secularization is inevitable. On the contrary, we are seeing a ‘return to the sacred’, and the rediscovery of religion by many. It is clear that religion forms part of man, it’s an integral part of his being. Of course, we don’t approve of many things in this ‘return to the sacred’. But it is nonetheless a great chance to proclaim the truth about the existence of man and his destiny”. How did the idea come about of simultaneously launching a city mission in four European cities? “The idea of the ‘city mission’ in four capital cities was first hatched in the ‘Emmanuel’ community. We then discussed it with Cardinal Lustiger, and so the idea gradually developed of promoting an ‘international mission’. The central aspiration is always that of communicating the ‘good news’ about Jesus Christ to the men and women of our time, of bringing the Gospel to them. This means opening the doors of the church and approaching people; it means not remaining shut up in the sacristy but going out to meet people in the street, and in the places in the city where people congregate, and offering them a witness about Christ and the life modelled on his example. The aim is to develop a new missionary spirit”. Four years of mission for the new evangelization of four European capitals. What will Vienna aim at? “Of course four years won’t be enough to re-evangelize the capital cities of Europe. But we are trying to begin a process of ‘rediscovery’ of the missionary dimension of the Church. The ‘city mission’ in Vienna will rely on close partnership between the ‘Emmanuel’ community and Catholic Action in the archdiocese. We’ll also try to involve the parishes and the various ecclesial associations and movements”. Erich Leitenberger – Vienna
