The Holy Press Office held a press conference on January 23 to present “Walking Together – The Gathering of the People of God”. This is a prayer vigil held in St Peter’s Square before the opening of the Synod of Bishops in October. Pope Francis and representatives from different Christian communities will be present. The event is organized by Taizé.
(Vatican News Network)Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, general spokesman for the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, said in a press conference on January 23: “I am not worried about differences of opinion within the Church. This is completely normal. The world The Synod is not divisive in nature and we need to listen to each other to discern God’s will for his people. Therefore, I am confident that we can move forward smoothly together. year The ecumenical vigil in St Peter’s Square on the theme “Walking together – the gathering of God’s people”.
On the eve of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis and representatives of many Christian faith groups will uphold the spirit of ecumenical unity and pray together. The prayer meeting, which is open to all, was organized by the Taizé community together with the Diocese of Rome, the Synod Secretariat, the Congregation for the Promotion of Christian Unity, the Congregation for the Laity, the Family and Life, and more than fifty of Catholic societies Collaboration with other Christian groups.
Fellowship itself is not a new thing, because it stems from the personal experience of the apostle. What is refreshing at the moment is that the members of the Christian community realize that they are all baptized in Christ and pray with one heart. This is the core concept of this ecumenical vigil prayer. At the time, the participants are mainly young people aged 18 to 35 from different European countries, regardless of their Christian traditions, and they are all invited to spend a shared time in Rome on the last weekend of September . In this way, the younger generation of Catholics can also continue the World Youth Day in Lisbon. After the prayer vigil, the bishops and others present at the Synod will take a three-day retreat in Rome.
Friar Alois, Rector of Taizé, came up with the idea for this prayer meeting in October 2021 to celebrate the “real, albeit imperfect unity” in Christ. While some theological questions are still unresolved, we need to show our unity: in doing so, we will see that we can make peace. Brother Ellis said that the Pope was very interested and that the time was clearly ripe. Showing unity through spiritual ecumenism is a prerequisite for calling for peace in the world. Dean Taize made a point of rekindling the baptismal fire that binds us together.
Archbishop Ian Ernst, representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See and director of the Anglican Center in Rome, also spoke at the press conference. He invites everyone to open their hearts to ecumenical action. “We must be aware of the deep needs of God’s people, and listen to those who are not usually heard. The Synod must promote integration, not only discussing issues of structure, but giving the relationship its himself in the middle. “Right now In a way, prayer vigils will be a kind of litmus test of how we pray for each other and reach out to others in difficult times. This is because sharing God’s word is not something illusory, but is strengthened in concrete life.
Minister Christian Krieger, president of the Council of European Christians (CEC) and president of the French Protestant Union, spoke online, pointing out that the Synod “can change us.” Pastor Krieger encouraged all Reformed church groups in Italy to attend the prayer meeting.
Khajag Barsamian, representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Holy See, also spoke at the press conference. He emphasized the need for humility and sincerity in everyone: “Because humility is not a sign of weakness, and unity is achieved precisely when no one excels.”
The General Speaker of the World Conference of Bishops, Cardinal Hollelich strongly believes that if we live the spirit of consensus in the Church, we will be able to usher in a new spring and a new starting point in the Church.
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