At the end of the catechesis, during the General Audience of this morning in Castel Gandolfo, Benedict XVI added the following words of condolence for last night’s assassination of the founder of the Community of Taizé, frère Roger Schutz: "We talked together of sadness and of joy. In fact, this morning I received very sad, very tragic news. During last night’s Vespers, dear frère Roger Schutz, the founder of the Community of Taizé, was stabbed to death, probably by a madwoman. This news moves me even more because just yesterday I received a very touching, a very friendly letter from Frère Roger. In it, he wrote that, deep in his heart, he meant to tell me that "we commune with you and with those who have gathered in Cologne". Then, he wrote that, because of his poor health, unfortunately he couldn’t personally come to Cologne, but he would spiritually be there with his brethrens. At the end, he wrote in this letter that he wished we could come to Rome as soon as possible to meet me and to tell me that "our Community of Taizé wants to walk in communion with the Holy Father". And then he wrote, in his own hand: "Holy Father, I assure you of my feelings of deep communion. Frère Roger from Taizé". At such a sad time, we can only entrust the goodness of the Lord with the soul of his faithful servant. We know that as we have just heard in the Psalm – joy will rise from sadness. Frère Schutz is in the hands of the eternal goodness, of eternal love, he has reached eternal joy. He warns us and urges us to be always faithful workers in the vineyard of the Lord, even at times of sadness, confident that the Lord walks with us and will give us His joy".
