News from Taizé
Taizé: a festive and recollected atmosphere for the centenary of Brother Roger
Sunday, May 10, the community of Taizé brothers invited people of the region to honour the memory of its founder, Brother Roger, two days before the centenary of his birth. Under a beautiful spring sun, many friends from the area came to spend the afternoon or the whole day at Taizé. All were invited to attend a series of workshops and meetings. The presence of several bishops, pastors, Catholic and Orthodox priests lent a beautiful ecumenical tone to the day.
Pastor François Clavairoly, president of the Protestant Federation of France, visited the community on this occasion. The next day he had several meetings with brothers and young volunteers, and he addressed the community during the midday meal
Ukraine: A pilgrimage in the Easter season, between suffering and hope
In April 2015, a new stage of the pilgrimage of trust took place in Ukraine. After the Easter celebrations in Moscow and two days in Minsk, Brother Alois and four brothers of the community went to Kyiv together with young people from different cities of Ukraine and Europe. These visits were marked by the suffering associated with the war in the East as well as hope renewed in the Easter season. Testimonies of young participants are online, and make it possible to share in this stay in Ukraine, step by step.
The themes of the meetings in Taizé
The Letter 2012-2015 "Towards a new solidarity", published in Berlin, continues to be the basis of the common path that is bringing us in successive stages to August 2015. It commits us to 2015 to try and be "salt of the earth."The Taizé website gives guidance on these topics for discussion in the coming months, and other documents that can help prepare a stay are in this section.
International gathering for a new solidarity
From August 9-16, a special week is being held to deepen the theme of "new solidarity" in an atmosphere of reflection, prayer and celebration. There will not necessarily be more people at Taizé than during the other summer weeks, but among the participants there will be a greater uniformity of ages and a wider variety of cultural backgrounds. Thus, the program will be deeper and richer, well suited to young people between 18 and 35 years. As during the European meetings, many people from the outside will come to lead workshops. More than sixty of them have already confirmed their participation and we shall gradually publish the topics on the Facebook page of the event.
We still need a lot of volunteers able and willing to help for the choir during this week. There will be singing rehearsals on Saturday, August 8, morning and afternoon, and Sunday August 9 in the afternoon. So do everything you can to arrive already on Friday 7 and mention "choir" in your registration. We are counting on people who have good voices, musical skills and above all lots of enthusiasm. Those who take part in the choir help with the animation of the worship during and after evening prayer, but they can take part in other activities during the day.
International colloquium on Brother Roger’s contribution to theological thought
From Sunday 30 August to Sunday, September 6, an international colloquium will be held on Brother Roger’s contribution to theological thought. This meeting is for young theologians 40 years old and younger—theology students, researchers or those already engaged for several years in a Church ministry. The detailed program of the conference is online. Among the topics to be discussed:
- "Can one be Protestant and a monk?" With Pastor Laurent Schlumberger, President of the United Protestant Church of France.
- "Mercy and the ecumenical journey of Brother Roger." With Cardinal Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
- "Taizé’s message to youth" With Dimitra Koukoura, professor of Orthodox theology in Thessaloniki (Greece).
- "Fighting with hope, struggling with a reconciled heart…a South African perspective." With Edwin Arrison, an Anglican priest.
- "In search of the deeper meaning of things: Asian religious traditions and Brother Roger." With Indian Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil.
Meditation by Brother Alois, "When we share, God gives us the joy of living"
During his meeting with young people during Ascension weekend, Brother Alois mentioned his recent visit to the General Assembly of Caritas International Rome. He also referred to the acts of solidarity offered at Taizé and in various parts of the world on the occasion of this anniversary year of the community:
“Everywhere, along with the prayer, these young people are undertaking acts of solidarity, in the spirit of Brother Roger who never separated the search for God and human solidarity. Here too, three opportunities to show solidarity were suggested to the people of the local region around Taizé: I just spoke about the refugee camp in Jordan, and we also have begun to collect medicines for the population of Cuba (this will last until August), and we are supporting a meeting of children to be held locally, in June in a nearby village.”
A new publication
The year 2015 is also a year rich in publications. After the CD "Songs of Peace and Unity" and brother Alois’ book of conversations with Marco Roncalli, the Editions du Cerf have just published a new biography of the community’s founder, written by Sabine Laplane: "Frère Roger, de Taizé – Avec presque rien..." (528 pages, 29 €).
Agenda
- Romania. In late May and early June, a brother will make visits in Romania.
- Germany. Brother Alois, with two brothers, will be present for two common prayers, on June 6 at the Kirchentag in Stuttgart, and on June 8 at the Cathedral of Berlin.
Prayer
God of all humans, you want everyone to know your love. Your Holy Spirit dwells in us, reviving joy in us and giving us compassion for those who are suffering.
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