Together for the future

Organized for the first time in Magonza in 1848 by Catholic theologian Adam Franz Lennig, the Katholikentag (Day of Catholics) was originally created as the General Assembly for the 87 delegates of the German Catholic Church, with the purpose of improving relations with the German government. Since then, the Katholikentag underwent many changes. It now represents an important gathering for the Christian and non-Christian world.A record-Katholikentag. Over 32.000 participants, 2,000 volunteers, 1,200 events will be held in 60 squares and typical areas. These are only some figures regarding the 97th Katholikentag held this year in Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, on May 21-25. The variety of proposals is listed in the program’s 544-page brochure. A solemn inauguration is scheduled for May 21. Participants include the President of Catholics Central Committee, Hans Joachim Meyer, Msgr. Franz-Josef Bode and burgomaster Boris Pistorius. The year’s major German Catholic event will be attended by Catholic and Evangelical prelates from all over the world along with politicians such as Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Federal President Horst Köhler, along with outstanding personalities from the economic, social and cultural environments. Which future? The Katholikentag is dedicated to the future of societies, faith, and Church. The event is meant to offer “the extraordinary opportunity to implement joint commitments to face present challenges, overcoming concerns and fear and making plans for a positive future”, Meyer and Bode wrote. “To the light of our Christian faith and with a humble vision of truth, we intend to develop stances that may be presented in public with concrete proposals”. The rich program – including shows for children, and performances ranging from hip-hop to the Sternsinger chants, workshops, open-air theatre, music, literature, cinema, prayers and celebrations- aims at promoting generations’ coexistence highlighting issues pertaining to peace and justice. “In a way, the cultural program intends to offer its contribution”, claimed Hermann Queckenstedt, President of the cultural working group of the Katholikentag. “Future development cannot exclude confrontation with reality and is not possible without the courage of envisaging future scenarios. This dynamics triggered a series of high-profile initiatives marking this year’s Katholikentag”, Queckenstedt explained. The Osnabrück centre will host the “Kirchenmeile”, the gathering point of the Catholic Church, represented also in this edition by the diocese of Fulda, which will be presenting activities carried out by 250 associations, ecclesial organizations, dioceses and councils for the laity. Youth, the family, spiritual life, men and women, ecumenism, liturgy and sacred music: these are the main topics addressed in the different centres. There will also be a centre for Christian-Jewish and Muslim-Christian dialogue. Ecumenism in the heart. “Lord, bring us in the offing! This only will enable us to be close to you and to Jesus Christ”: thus recites the Katholikentag prayer written by Msgr. Bode, which draws inspiration from Psalm 18, which, in the words of Meyer and Bode transcribed in the brochure, “constitutes at the same time a faith-born challenge and the will to create a future worthwhile living”. The prayer will be recited by Christians from all confessions during the ecumenical and confessional celebrations in Osnabrück, in the 32° evangelical Kirchentag to be held in Brema in 2009 and during the 2nd ecumenical Kirchentag scheduled for 2010 in Munich. On May 23rd, an ecumenical celebration will be held in the Cathedral of Osnabrück based on Baptism as the sacrament uniting all Christian confessions. The liturgical celebration will be attended by the bishop of Hamburg, Msgr. Werner Thissen, the bishop of the Evangelical and Lutheran Church Margot Kässmann, by Greek-Orthodox metropolitan bishop Augoustinos, by the pastor of the Evangelical reformed Church Jann Schmitt and by Mennonite theologian Fernando Enns. Sunday May 25th a solemn Mass concelebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Lehmann, by Msgr. Bode and by Msgr. Reinhard Marx will close the event. An eco-compatible Katholikentag. In conformity with the principles for the preservation of creation, the Katholikentag 2008 is the first with a low climatic impact. In order to compensate the event’s Co2 emissions, the Katholikentag supports the activity of a biomass centre in Chattisgarh, India. The project is designed to prevent the construction of a power plant. “Climatic neutrality” is one of the measures aimed at environmental protection. Participants in the Katholikentage are equally encouraged to a adopt environmentally sound behavior”.