In the central square of Würzburg (Germany) people prayed together for peace on 8 May, on the eve of Europe Day 2024. The event was organised by the ecumenical network Together for Europe. In the city, the Movements and Communities involved in this network are, among others, the Community of Sant’Egidio, Vineyard, the Focolare Movement and the YMCA.
The aim of the ecumenical prayer in public was to make known how some of those present were committed to peace in different ways and to encourage those present to do the same: e.g. in the family, at work, in prison, but also on trips.
Dr. Heiner Arzet (Vineyard) told of his trip to Ukraine, where his encounter with psychologically traumatised soldiers in the Butscha military hospital was particularly touching. During the liturgy together with the soldiers, Arzet realised how he too can be an instrument of peace through his presence in prayer.
Each of us, wherever we are, can make small and big choices in favour of peace every day.
A Europe Day for young and older people was held in Klagenfurt (Austria)
On 8 May, Together for Europe celebrated Europe Day 2024 together with the Carinthia Region and Europahaus. Schools from the region, EU project promoters and representatives of various Movements that form part of the Network participated.
The varied programme included prayers and personal reflections on Europe by the participants.
At the end of the ceremony, a choir of forty pupils sang the well-known melody of the European anthem (9th symphony by Ludwig von Beethoven) in a new version of the text developed by the Lutheran theologian Herwig Sturm. The singing conveyed gratitude, hope and joy to all those who were there.
A day of celebration and encouragement for all generations!
Manfred and Fini Wieser on behalf of the Team TfE in Carinthia
On Europe Day, 9 May at 9.30 p.m., an ecumenical moment of prayer for peace took place in Porto/Portogal, in the Cedofeita church.
Around 60 people were present, among them the Catholic auxiliary Bishop D. Roberto Mariz, Bishop D. Jorge Pina Cabral of the Lusitanian Church and Bishop Sifredo Teixeira of the Methodist Church. Jorge Pina Cabral and Bishop Sifredo Teixeira of the Methodist Church.
Poet Sophia de Mello Breyner’s verses ‘Give us Lord the peace we ask for, peace without victor and without vanquished’ marked the start of the celebration.
In a profound moment of interiority, stillness and silence, the word Peace was pronounced in different languages and with the sensitivity of the various confessions, stating: ‘God is love, the whole world needs peace. The world thirsts for Peace!’
We recited the ‘Our Father’ holding hands, followed by the blessing given together by the representatives of the various churches. We left off by drawing a card at random with a key word to build peace and singing the Gen Rosso song ‘Sow Peace’.
The moderator, Rev. Sérgio of the Lusitanian Church, concluded: ‘Today we have rekindled the flame’.
Now it is up to us to find ways and creativity to keep it going, perhaps without waiting a year…
Lurdes Teixeira on behalf of the TfE team in Porto
Photo L. Teixeira during the celebration; invitation flyer.
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.
On the theme ‘Seeking peace together and what is best for the city’ (cf. Jer 29:7), some 30 Christians committed to Together for Europe (TfE) met on Tuesday 16 April 2024 in the parish hall of St Paul’s in Innsbruck, to take a shared look at the city of Innsbruck and the region of Tyrol with reference to this motto.
They were joined by Thomas Römer (YMCA) and Michael Guttenberger (Vineyard), who had come from Munich.
Thomas Römer began by inviting the participants to introduce themselves according to their membership of a Church, Community or group: Schönstatt Movement, Lumen Christi Tirol, Focolare Movement, Sant’Egidio, ENC (European Network of Communities), Free Christian Community.
The speakers realised, with good intuition, that there was still a good ‘room for progress’ in the relationship between the groups present, and asked each movement to briefly expound on their characteristics. On the basis of this, Thomas Römer emphasised the essentials of each one, thus enabling a deeper mutual understanding and greater appreciation of the different charisms. In this process, carefully accompanied by the two long-standing ‘fighters’ of Together for Europe, all present experienced and enhanced gratitude to God for the different gifts and charisms, which appeared in all their evidence. The joy of fraternity was tangible among all.
Reviewing the history of TfE, Römer emphasised the decisive contribution of the Chiara Lubich’s charism of unity.
In the course of the dialogue, several participants asked how the goal of ‘Together’ (for Innsbruck, for Tyrol, for Europe) could be carried further. One of the answers was surprising in its apparent banality: ‘Having coffee together!’. By this, Thomas Römer meant meeting without ulterior motives, with the sole desire to get to know each other better, to appreciate diversity as a whole and to enjoy it. Other points were explained in a PowerPoint.
At the end of the official part, much gratitude was shown to the two speakers, accompanied by refreshments with snacks and drinks, which allowed for further conversations and an even deeper getting to know each other.
An appeal in view of the upcoming European elections
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.
