PRAGUE, Jan. 3, 3015 — The Prior of the Taizé Community, Brother Alois Löser announced on Dec. 31 to to the young people gathered in Prague that the next European meeting would take place in a city that has never hosted such a gathering: Valencia, Spain.
When he received the news, Archbishop of Valencia Cardinal Antonio Cañizares also expressed “deep gratitude” to the ecumenical community of Taizé and encouraged young people to participate the said event in great numbers.
Prior of the Taizé Community, Brother Alois Löser speaks during the European Taizé meeting in Prague. (Photo: Roman Albrecht)
“It will be a Church gathering, a meeting of prayer for the unity of all Christians. It will also be a meeting that will challenge our Valencian Church to live in a way very close to what Taizé brings to all of us,” he added.
The cardinal explained the readiness of the province of Valencia to host the international gathering as an expression that “we are a Church that believes in Jesus Christ, a united Church. A Church that fulfills the desire of the Lord that we should be one so that the world might believe. Because in believing we find hope.”
As of yesterday, Jan.2, more than 30,000 people were still involved in the intense program of the European meeting in Prague.
The presence of cheerful and friendly young people is very noticeable around the city.
Participation in the discussion workshops on Dec. 30 and 31 exceeded the capacity of certain venues.
“The presence of thousands of young people in seventeen churches in the historic centre was a beautiful testimony to the heart of the city, amid the crowds of tourists and inhabitants of Prague,” the Taizé Community said in a press release about the event.
Also, Czech public television decided to broadcast live the evening prayers on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1 at 7:00 p.m.
During the meeting, Löser also announced that he would visit Moscow in April. With some of his brothers and 100 young people from different countries, he will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ during the Orthodox Easter, and then head next to Minsk.
Afterwards, with a second group of 100 young people, he would visit the Christian communities of Kiev and Lviv.
Two texts were published on the occasion of the meeting: the “Proposals 2015” by Löser to strive to be “salt of the earth”, accessible at http://www.taize.fr/en_article17420.html and the messages received from Church leaders and international organizations http://www.taize.fr/en_article17519.html
(CBCPNews)
