Together to share” “

With the launch of 150 yellow and white balloons as “sign of very different Christian communities and movements, but also as symbol of joy for the start of a meeting unique in history”, the ecumenical meeting “Together, to share spiritual riches” opened in the Lieder-Halle of Stuttgart on Thursday, 6 May. Over 2000 delegates of Christian movements and communities from all European countries, including Catholics, Evangelics and Orthodox, are attending it. They include Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolari Movement, Andrea Riccardi, founder of the St. Egidio Community, and members of the Schoenstatt movement and Renewal of the Spirit, both Catholic and Evangelic. Charismatic movements and pastoral centres are participating for the first time together with communities and confraternities of various Christian confessions. ROUND TABLES AND THEMATIC FORUMS. The meeting will alternate plenary sessions in the main hall with workgroups, round tables and 32 ‘thematic forums’, in the preparation of which some 200 delegates have worked over the last few months. The issues to be discussed will include political commitment and dedication to peace; service to the poor; unity and multiplicity, and the role of Christianity in the process of the unification of Europe. The meeting is preparatory to the great international event “Together for Europe” due to be held again in Stuttgart on Saturday 8 May with the participation of some 10,000 people. Main speakers will include Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the promotion of Christian Unity, and the bishop of the Lutheran-Evangelic Church of Bavaria, Johannes Friderich. AN “ECUMENISM OF HEARTS”. “The Stuttgart conference – explains GERHARD PROSS, on behalf of the promoting Committee – was born from the confluence of two great rivers: on the one hand, the Council of the leaders of the Evangelic movements and communities that has represented 120 groups in Germany since 1969; on the other, the meeting of Pentecost ’98, during which the Pope appealed to Catholic movements to work together”. “It’s truly a moment of particular grace – adds Pross – because God has called us to work together and it’s also a moment of particular grace for the ecumenism of hearts. The prospect that is opening up before our eyes is huge. We belong to many different nations, languages and cultures, but we are now experiencing the miracle of unity; we have seen that barriers can be removed and that our wounds can be healed. That doesn’t mean to say that divisions don’t exist. We are here also to pray to God together to ask him to make us one, so that the world may believe that we are all children of God”. “All of us – said FRIEDERICH ASCHOFF, leader of the Evangelic Charismatic Movement – feel the pain of the divisions between our Churches. But if we’re here, it’s also because we have worked together to find a common path, the path of love and brotherhood, on which to go forward together”. HELMUT NICKLAS, director of the YMCA (German association of Protestant youth) also expressed hope about the future of ecumenism in Europe. “The Holy Spirit – he said – speaks softly but has an extraordinary power to unite the people of God”. In his sermon, Protestant pastor THOMAS ROMER spoke of the need to place ourselves at the “service of the dignity of man wherever this is injured”. He also spoke of the “absence of God” in European culture. UNITY, “A SIGN OF THE TIMES”. In spite of wars and terrorism, unity “is a sign of the times”. It is especially so for Christians who are called to join together in giving a “Christian witness to the world, and in Europe in particular”. That’s the essence of the speech given to the Stuttgart conference by CHIARA LUBICH, founder and president of the Focolari Movement. “In spite of the fact that wars, violence, tensions and terrorism continue to persist in our planet – said Chiara – we cannot fail to recognize that we are progressing towards unity. It’s a sign of the times. In the spiritual and religious world, it is testified by the impulse that the Churches feel in their path towards full and visible unity after centuries of indifference and conflict”. “In the political world – added Chiara – unity is also being expressed by the unification of European states, as also by others in Africa and Latin America; and by international organizations, such as the UNO. The same is happening among the movements. They too are called to communion”. Chiara reviewed the process that has led the Catholic movements to collaborate together and open themselves to those of other churches. “And what’s the result of all this process? It’s great and unexpected”, replied Chiara, adding that the international event “Together for Europe” to be held in Stuttgart on Saturday 8 May, is one of the “effects” produced by this new collaboration. “I’m sure – concluded Chiara – that if Christ is among us because we love each other, our common Christian witness to the world, and in particular in Europe, shall shine out with particular splendour, attraction, strength and power. We shall also help to make the civil world better: an earthly city more in harmony with the heavenly city”. Maria Chiara Biagioni SIR correspondent in Stuttgart