by TogetherforEurope | Sep 13, 2019 | 2019 Ottmaring ! 20 Years, Experiences, reflections and interviews, News
VIDEO – INTERVIEW
Preparations for the celebration of the “20 years of Together for Europe” have been going for some time. The spark that triggered off this original ecumenical-European journey was ignited at the Ecumenical Centre of Ottmaring, just after the signature of the historical joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in Augsburg.
Severin Schmid has seen the birth and the growth of this communion, whose “score is written in heaven”. We asked him to tell us how things happened.
Ilona Toth, who comes from Hungary, is presently a member of the Steering Committee of Together for Europe. In 2018 she participated in the 50th anniversary of Ottmaring. What are her impressions of this ecumenical Centre near Augsburg?
by TogetherforEurope | Jul 11, 2019 | Experiences, reflections and interviews, News
Maria Voce, familiarly also known as Emmaus, is a member of the Steering Committe of Together for Europe. She is also the President of the Focolare Movement, and this summer said Movement is organizing an event on a European level.
She gave interviews regarding this event. From these we chose two questions and answers which are of special interest for us since they underline the spirit and the soul of our network.
Photo: Diego Goller
by TogetherforEurope | Jun 18, 2019 | 2019 Ottmaring ! 20 Years, Experiences, reflections and interviews, News
An international team of professionals are preparing a video clip to mark the 20th anniversary of Together for Europe, which will be celebrated at Ottmaring (Germany) this November.
“The latest events of Together for Europe have lead us back to Klagenfurt, Ottmaring and Munich; that is where we started to discover its current identity and the meaning of the experience of these 20 years of journeying together. In November, on the occasion of this anniversary, we will make use of interviews and videos to narrate how this network is currently made up and what it does. Working with various persons we saw that it is possible to live unity in the diversity, and that the various charisms may be the answer to problems; indeed, Europe has an urgent need to engage in a constructive dialogue with the diverse Churches, Communities, Movements, peoples, etc.”. That is what Dalma Timár, from Hungary, stated. She is an expert on video editing and together with Vera Bohus, also from Hungary and a camera operator, as well as with Cinzia Panero, an Italian director, are involved in this original European experience.
We are presenting in advance some excerpts from the numerous interviews they conducted.
Friendship is a most important theme for Together for Europe. The kind of friendship that effectively unites us is that which allows us to become friends of Jesus in our midst. (Sr. Nicole Grochovina, Selbitz)
For us, the culture of reciprocity is very important. We all feel it within us; it’s not something that is imposed on us. (Pavel Snoj, Ljubljana)
Together for Europe has changed my life; from the very outset I felt as if the Spirit of God has taken charge of us and was leading us forward. (Gerhard Pross, Esslingen)
I see Together for Europe as a laboratory in which, men and women, members of various Movements and Communities, clergy and lay persons of various Churches, strive to discover together how to live as Christian today in Europe. (Ilona Tóth, Budapest)
According to me we ought to start from the bottom, from the community, from the familial life between the Communities. (Matteo Fanni Canelles, Trieste)
Here you can see the final result: Videoclip 2019
by TogetherforEurope | May 30, 2019 | 2019 Europe Day, News
Europe Day on 9 May has also inspired members of Together for Europe to act. Like the tiles of a mosaic representing a picture of hope for Europe a variety of groups are involved in organizing events which include associations, movements and different church communities.
What is it that unites people from Prague, Zurich and Rome with people from Milan, Toulouse, Esslingen and Ljubljana or even people from Padua, Brussels, Selbitz and Palermo? Or people from Lyon, Viterbo and Strasbourg with people from Trent, Paris, Trieste and Klagenfurt? People whose languages, stories, ethnicities and cultures are so different?! Just one desire. To live the people’s ‘beatitude’: “Blessed are the people who belong to the Lord” (cf. Sal 33:12). People that have their own characteristics, their own strong identity, their own unique history and culture, but know that they are first and foremost the people the “Lord has chosen as his inheritance”. Celebrating Europe Day has shown us what the ‘Lord’s People’ look like.
It includes people who above all feel the need to pray together, thus giving those responsible for the different Churches an opportunity to get to know one another and meet the faithful. Others want to participate with concrete actions in their own cities. There are others who prefer to build relationships and by going beyond their own borders, organize meetings enabling different ethnic groups which have historically been in conflict with one another to be reunited. There are those who feel strongly about the social problems and make their commitment in hospitals, with migrants, in families or with young people, involving politicians as well. Some feel particularly called to face the cultural challenges in society and organize round tables on dialogue between East and West in Europe or try to raise public awareness for a fairer economic system and for nuclear disarmament. There are also those who believe in the importance of visibility and organise marches, while others invite experts to speak and encourage reflection on particular subjects. And we could go on… But isn’t this rich diversity of a ‘People’ where each one is nourished by their own charism, and shares the fruits of their charism for the good of all something beautiful and dynamic?
The press also reported on the events: in the Rome edition of the daily newspaper la Repubblica, wrote: “Can Europe be faithful to its original vocation – that of bringing together different traditions, visions and religions? Yes, if it focuses on its Christian roots, which brings individuals, groups, ethnicities and peoples together and highlights the positive aspects of each culture. This is the contribution it makes to humanity, by making the unity of reconciled diversities a reality which becomes a mutual enrichtment”. Vita Trentina, the weekly magazine for the diocese of Trent reported: “Together for Europe reaffirms that the future of Europe lies in a culture of Togetherness. The Palermo Chronicle lists the strong testimonies given to 1,600 people, of how members of various Churches are transforming their cities together. L’Avvenire, a Catholic daily newspaper, reported on their Milan page: “Openness and unity in diversity. This is Europe according to Christians.” The weekly magazine of the diocese of Padua reads: “Padua acknowledges the urgency of the European situation and the desire to unite the civil part with the Christian and religious part.
These are just a few newsflashes from the history of Europe today. Six demonstrations in Austria, four evenings in Vienna with political figures, spoke of a “living Europe, living according to its vocation”. Germany, the four principal French cities, Brussels – the ‘chapel for Europe’, Prague, Klagenfurt and Ljubljana all testified to the fact that “Everything is born, grows, blossoms from the source of “Togetherness”!
Thank you, “Europe Day”, for mobilizing energies, highlighting our continent’s potential and reviving hope for the future.
Ada Maria Guazzo, Ilona Toth
To find out about the initiatives in individual cities and regions click here>>
by TogetherforEurope | May 29, 2019 | 2019 Europe Day, Austria
Currently, the text is only available in German
Photo and Video (©TfE Vienna, Chiarina Marent)
