With "mind, heart and hands"” “

Everything is now ready for the Katholikentag of the Catholics of Central Europe (MEKT), organized by eight Episcopal Conferences of the region (Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Hungary). The event was decided on 8 January 2002. Prepared by collateral events, symposia and meetings, it will culminate in the “pilgrimage of peoples” to the Marian sanctuary at Mariazell, in Austria, on 22-23 May. Some 80,000 pilgrims are expected to participate. The presidents of the eight Episcopal Conferences, the Presidents of the participating nations, Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, and Cardinal Sodano, the Pope’s representative, are also expected to be there. “CONSTRUCTION SITE OF EUROPE”. Two cranes tower over the dais installed in the area of the meeting: they are the symbol of the “Construction site of Europe”, recently enlarged with the entry of ten new member states. Five of them are participating in the event: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Pope’s Cross, which has dominated the Heldenplatz in Vienna since 1983, will be temporarily transported to Mariazell for the occasion and erected over the podium for the eucharistic celebration of 22 May. Some 1,500 volunteers, coordinated by 80 team leaders, have made preparations for welcoming the thousands of pilgrims, to whom will be distributed welcome kits and lunch baskets. The statue of Our Lady of Mariazell will be borne in procession on 22 May clothed in a dress decorated with the coats of arms of the participating countries. The garment of the Infant Jesus bears the logo of the event, the eight crosses superimposed with the slogan “Europe’s Hope”. WORKING WITH MIND, HEART AND HANDS. The MEKT dominated the traditional meeting of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Austrian Episcopal Conference, with the media, held in Vienna in recent days. The central issues stressed by Schönborn in relation to the MEKT were “reconciliation”, “rediscovery of the soul of Europe” and the willingness of Christians to work in the construction site of Europe with “mind, heart and hands”. The prayers and pledges of the pilgrims to Mariazell will be devoted, said the cardinal, “to peace and justice”: “there cannot be peace – he said – without justice, nor justice without pardon and reconciliation”. “Particularly in the eight countries participating in the MEKT people are conscious of how much evil may be caused by implacable ideologies”, he declared, adding that “the traces of this disaster are still fresh in people’s minds and spirits”. THE CHURCH AND THE RURAL WORLD. “The Church must be the advocate of the culture of life of the rural world”: that’s the hope expressed by the bishop of Carinthia, Msgr. Alois Schwarz, who spoke at the last MEKT symposium, held at Warsaw, Poland, from 13 to 16 May. The meeting was dedicated to the problems of the agricultural world, also in view of EU enlargement. “For the future”, said Msgr. Schwarz, “it is important that peasant farmers firmly recognize the richness of their culture and appreciate it”. The bishop of Carinthia also underlined the role of the Church: “the future of the rural world has a need for ecclesial communities that participate in local and regional projects aimed at the organization and development of the agricultural world”. A central task of the Church – he continued – is “to recognize the concrete problems and situations of life of the rural world, and give guidance and support derived from the Christian tradition”. The transformations taking place in the rural world represent “challenges for the pastoral ministry”, he said, stressing that the Churches ought to “take people’s social problems seriously” by offering them places of dialogue and reconciliation”. MEKT – YOUTH MEETING. Some 6,000 young pilgrims from Central Europe are due to take part in the meeting. A separate programme has been arranged for them. It comprises some 55 different events, including workshops, catechesis, debates, concerts and prayer. The culminating event for the young will be the prayer vigil on the night of the 21 May, in the Marian basilica of Mariazell, beginning at 8.00 pm. A youth festival will be held round the central podium on Saturday evening. Then, the final eucharistic celebration for youth will take place at 11.00 am on Sunday 23 May. Commenting on the pilgrimage to Mariazell, Msgr. Franz Lackner, head of the Commission of the Austrian Episcopal Conference for youth ministry, invited the young to seize the occasion “to help build a Christian Europe”.