” “"A gap that cannot be filled", "a saint", "a master". The young pilgrims queuing up in front of the Cathedral of Cologne for the pilgrimage to the relics of the three Wise Men are shocked at the news of the death of the founder of Taizé, frère Roger. "What happened is shocking say sister Dominique from the Carmelites of Saint Joseph, Florence and Sabine Lemarchant de Trigon, from near Paris . We prayed all night in the church of Saint Andrew’s, to commemorate frère Roger, after learning of his death. He leaves a gap that cannot be filled as well as a message of peace and reconciliation". François Rallin from Strasbourg does not want to believe it, he has been to Taizé many times and he cannot hold back his tears: "It’s shocking, it’s incredible. He taught us prayer, reconciliation and talking, and, I’d like to add, silence, perhaps his greatest lesson for me". A group of French girls are queuing up to enter the Cathedral. They do not want to talk, the news, they say, "casts a gloom over us. Now, all we can do is pray. Let’s keep quiet, frère Roger will like it". "A saint", mgr. Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of Milwaukee (Usa), spells it out: "His death comes at a time when peace and solidarity are being celebrated. He taught everyone that in every man there’s a powerful need for spirituality, which can be fulfilled by prayer and by trusting oneself to God. A great loss".
