Light in the darkness” “” “

Christmas: festival of faith or merely of consumerism? The tendency to transform Christian holidays into an occasion for shopping can already be detected in the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is also taking place in Catholic Austria, as emphasized by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn , president of the Episcopal Conference and archbishop of Vienna: “It is rather sad to see how this feast, so important in Austria and so close to her heart, has increasingly become in recent years a day dedicated to shopping”. The consequence, according to the cardinal, is that “in Austria too, as in many countries in the world, Christians must get used to celebrating religious holidays without the support of the State or of society”. In Germany and in Austria, Advent and Christmas nonetheless remain important moments for contemplation, prayer and the search for unity: one example is the ecumenical initiative promoted by the Community of Work of the Christian Churches (ACK) in Germany, which invites Christians of all confessions in the south-western Länder of the country to meet together on 13 December, in homes, hospices, clinics and parish communities, to meditate together on Advent. A brochure with the texts of prayers and meditations, carols and suggestions for bible readings has been produced as an aid to the meetings. The project is being supported by the dioceses of Trier and Speier, by the Evangelic Church of the Palatinate and Rhineland, and by communities of the Catholic dioceses of German Old Catholics, Baptists, Mennonites, Methodists, the community of the brothers of Herrnhut, and the local Lutheran and Greek-Orthodox Churches. “LIGHT OF PEACE FROM BETHLEHEM”. In 1986, the Linz regional station of the Austrian state broadcasting corporation ORF launched a Christmas project called “Friedenslicht aus Betlehem” (light of peace from Bethlehem): a child lit a candle from the grotto of the Nativity and took it on a plane journey through Austria. From that candle were lit countless other candles that were distributed far and wide as a sign of gratitude to the participants in the “Licht ins Dunkel” (Light in the Darkness) charity appeal promoted by the ORF in favour of disabled and suffering children. The idea was to ignite a light in the darkness in Bethlehem and give it to people as a symbol of union in the peace of Christmas. In the course of the years, and with the deterioration of the crisis in the Middle East, the light of Bethlehem acquired a strong symbolic value and is now distributed in 25 European countries. The candle lit in the grotto of the Nativity arrives in Vienna, and on the Saturday preceding the third Sunday of Advent is received during a solemn eucharistic celebration by the international delegations of the scouts, who have distributed the light in their respective countries since 1989. The light of Bethlehem also arrives in the countries of Eastern Europe bordering on Austria. In Switzerland, the distribution of the light of Bethlehem is by now traditional and is assigned to the group “Light of Peace – Switzerland”. In Italy, the light of Bethlehem is distributed by a youth group in the Trentino. In Germany, it has been distributed by the scouts since 1994 and is now present in numerous homes, parish communities, hospitals, hospices, refugee centres and prisons in 30 German cities. The light may also become an occasion for ecumenical meetings, as at Stuttgart: the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart and the Evangelic Church of Württemberg thus celebrated the distribution of the light together in the courtyard of the city’s Altes Schloss on 12 December. A chat for the suffering. The Christmas holidays can be a moment of particular sadness for those who have suffered the loss of a family member. Thought to such persons has been given by Adolf Pfeiffer, director of Catholic education for adults in Coblentz (diocese of Trier), in Germany. His office offers to all those who wish to do so the chance to join in an internet chat as a way of sharing grief and alleviating suffering. The chat service will especially be active during Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the following days, and also 31 December, beginning at 21.00 on the website www.trauer.org. On the same site it is also possible to participate in forums for exchanging opinions and experiences, or undertake “rituals of mourning” as a way of expressing the loss of a loved one: giving a present or writing a letter to the person who has died, planting a flower or tree, lighting a candle or simply writing down one’s impressions. The office also organizes on-line seminars to learn how to manage mourning without fears and to express grief for the loss.