To pray is to change reality

To pray is to change reality

Ukraine: the strength of closeness

For about four years now, before the outbreak of the large-scale war in Ukraine, we have been meeting online every Thursday evening to pray together for peace; we are from different cultures and nations in Eastern and Western Europe. And for the past few months, representatives from the Holy Land have also joined in.

There are only a hundred of us, but it is always a sacred moment that makes us feel like one family praying and asking God for peace together. For us here in Ukraine it is a great gift to pray together because it gives us the strength to go on, making us feel the closeness of so many people. And this gives us hope for the future.

Ljubljana: every day for three years

Marjana and Pavel Snoj had this to say: That 22 February 2022 we were surprised and distressed with Russia’s aggression in Ukraine: – we just didn’t expect it! We in Slovenia know what a war is; we experienced it even after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and we still bear the wounds. That is why we asked ourselves what we could do against this war, which is always a source of pain, destruction and death. One possibility was immediately obvious to us: prayer! Because we are certain that prayer can obtain everything from God.

We therefore decided to start praying online. We are approx. 60 people from various Movements and Communities, praying together every day for 30′ since February 2022, and we have never stopped doing so, for any reason. At the end of the prayer, we still remain briefly connected for about 5 – 10 minutes to exchange the latest news about the war, the sorrows and joys we experience. Indeed, a true family spirit is created between us, because we live for each other. We believe in peace and that it will soon be possible.

Esslingen: perception, closeness, prayer

Judith Kaiser writes: ‘Be joyful in hope, strong in tribulation, persevering in prayer’ – thus the appeal from Romans 12:12. Perhaps it is this call that brings us together every Tuesday evening as Christians from different Movements and Communities – German-speaking area – for the ecumenical prayer for peace in Ukraine on Zoom.

In our prayer for a just peace, we place our trust in the Lord’s help in all the needs we are aware of. We, about 10-20 people, have been constantly praying since November 2023. Thanks to the participation of Miroslav from Uzhhorod and sometimes Viktor from Lviv, Ukraine is always present in the prayer on Zoom. Their perceptions, stories, greetings and requests help us to pray in a concrete way and to recognise God’s action. Our connection in prayer often makes us feel a deep closeness that refreshes the heart. After a short lead-in, we pray aloud or silently, interceding, blessing, professing the Word of God… each in our own way. In the end, we also turn our prayer specifically to the situation in Israel. Once a month, Hans-Joachim Scholz leads us in prayer of reconciliation. We often experience that we ourselves are blessed and strengthened in faith through this appointment. And God always acts again – let us give thanks to Him for this!’

Bringing the beating heart of current affairs to God

We like to conclude with a thought by Pope Francis (1): ‘Perhaps force of habit or a certain daily ritual has led us to think that prayer does not change individuals or history. Yet to pray is to change reality. Prayer is an active mission, a constant intercession. It is not distant from the world, but changes the world. To pray is to bring the beating heart of current affairs into God’s presence, so that his gaze will shine out upon history. (…) If prayer is living … continually prompts us to allow ourselves to be troubled by the plea of all those who suffer in our world.’

Those interested in participating in one of these moments of prayer can contact us via the website.

The international secretariat of Together for Europe

(1) Homily in the Gesù Church in Rome, 12 March 2022

Seek the good of the city

Seek the good of the city

The prophet Jeremiah had a clear idea of what it means to seek good in the environment in which we live and dwell. He knew that God’s people prosper when they do not shut themselves off, but put themselves at the service of society. In this way it creates space for life and hope for future generations.

We have been experiencing for years that God wants to gather his people. We are aware that the gift-charism that He has given to each Movement and Community is destined to be ‘light and salt’ in the society in which we live. In the midst of the profound crisis that we are experiencing today, let us seek together ‘the Good’ in the challenges and possibilities of our time.

The initiative in Munich is meant to be an experience of friendship and inspiration. Together we want to celebrate God and live in unity and reconciliation. TOGETHER FOR EUROPE.

On Friday 27 June, the idea of ‘TOGETHER’ will be further explored: there will be a guided tour of the city, followed by a snack and an evening programme.

Saturday 28 June it is the turn to have a closer look at ‘FOR’: An in-depth study of the text of Jeremiah 29:7 will be followed by moments of exchange. In the afternoon there will be thematic groups: prayer for the city, social initiatives, youth, marriage and family, spreading the Gospel, migration and others. The evening will come to an end with a moment of praise.

Sunday, 29 June will be dedicated to ‘EUROPE’ with an ecumenical celebration.

For more information and booking see the national website: www.miteinander-wie-sonst.org. The event will be in German, and no translations shall be provided.

The DialogUE project at the European Parliament

The DialogUE project at the European Parliament

It’s October 16 in the morning and we are in one of the meeting rooms at the European Parliament. “It’s very clear that something is happening when people of peace are talking”, comments Catarina Martins, Portuguese MEP, beginning her concluding presentation of the DialogUE Project, in which Together for Europe is participating. “This is precisely this kind of moment”, Ms Martins continues, “Dialogue is a powerful instrument of peace”

Present are 50 representatives of the Project’s partners: people involved in European institutions, religious leaders, and also from civil society. The purpose of the meeting is to present recommendations to the European Union, which are summarised in the brochure “DialogUE Kit” >>

During the two year project, four dialogue groups have collaborated in three main areas: communication, ecology and social policy.

The groups were the following:

  • Christians of various Churches, through the Together for Europe network
  • Catholics and Muslims, through the Focolare Movement’s Centre for Interreligious Dialogue
  • Catholics and people with no formal faith, through the DIALOP platform for transversal dialogue
  • Citizens from Western and Eastern Europe, through the Multipolar Dialogue group

The project aimed to transmit the importance of, and the methodologies needed for, fruitful dialogue. It brought together international expertise in these three key areas, helping the participants to understand the main documents of the UE on these topics, and to explore their various dimensions. About 10,000 people from 23 European countries took part.

Its full title: “DialogUE: Diverse Identities Allied, Open to generate a United Europe”. The final discussion showed how necessary it is to be close to the institutions, in order to share ideas and projects which promote more inclusive and sustainable policies.

In the afternoon of the same day, a discussion was held at the KU Leuven (University of Louvain) in Brussels, where the participants analysed some of the good practices that emerged from the project and spoke about how these practices could be spread through the “DialogUE Kit”. The event was streamed lived and is available on Youtube>>

To know more about the Project, to see the recommendations made, and explore further resources click here >>

by Maria Wienken

Source: New Humanity NGO Media Office; Photo: Szilvia Berényi and Team TfE

Reawakening responsibility

Reawakening responsibility

On the occasion of Europe Day 2024, the 10 May the event organised in Rome took place in the S. Maria in Campitelli complex. Among the 150 or so people present, members of various Movements and Communities of the Network in Rome, were people from the European Institutions, including Hon. Silvia Costa, and Filippo Sassoli, brother of David M. Sassoli.

The keynote speech by Claudio Sardo, a long-standing journalist who has been working for several years in the secretariat of Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Republic, was of great depth. His historical and sociological analysis offered much food for thought, and his assessments underlined the principles that motivate us.

This was followed by some good practices, including those of some young people: Giulia Covalea from the A. Megalizzi Foundation, Fabiola Marotti as ‘Ambassador of a United World’ and two 5th grade students who spoke about the Mediterranean Festival.

Young people also featured in the high-level musical interludes.

At the start, it seemed quite appropriate to play Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, first played exactly 200 years ago, and since 1985 the official anthem of the European Community.

In the adjoining, spacious church, an ecumenical prayer took place; 10 Churches and Ecclesial Communities took part. Accompanied by the choir, made up of people from various Movements and Communities, prayers and intentions were expressed to emphasise peace and love of neighbour. As a tangible sign, bread was distributed to each participant: this bread was then spontaneously exchanged with others. The service ended with the solemn joint blessing of the Church representatives.

Refreshments provided an opportunity to continue and deepen relations and knowledge among the participants.

The team of Together for Europe in Rome

Download Claudio Sardo’s intervention here>>

See the video of the event on YouTube (Italian)>>

Photo: Riccardo / Diego Goller

Europe, be yourself

Europe, be yourself

Together for Europe endorses this appeal to institutions, politicians and candidates for the European elections. The document was drafted by CEC (Conference of European Churches), COMECE (Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union) and I.A.O. (International Assembly on Orthodoxy).

The document emphasises the importance of Christian values as fundamental for the construction of Europe and invites the European institutions to a regular and transparent dialogue with Churches and religious associations, as foreseen in Article 17 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Download the declaration>>

The Steering Committe of Toghether for Europe

“Europe, be yourself!” – cf. Speech of Pope John Paul II in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) on 9th November 1982

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