Thousands of young people are on their way to Rostock. They want to pray and sing together there at the turn of the year and discuss current issues in a Christian light.
Rostock (dpa/mv) – Before the start of the 45th European Youth Meeting of the Christian-ecumenical Taizé Community, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the commitment of young people in the fight against social and ecological problems. They were the first to sound the alarm and call for change, Guterres wrote in a greeting addressing conflicts, hate speech, climate change and declining biodiversity. “The United Nations stands with you as you work to build a fairer, more sustainable and inclusive world for all.”
Guterres said the Taizé community is “a beacon of hope, peace and compassion” for countless people around the world. The youth meeting starts on Wednesday and lasts until January 1st and is all about dialogue and ecumenism. 4000 young adults from 49 countries are expected. There are also 1000 day visitors.
Christians should not withdraw from the world. “We need each other, and as Christians we also need dialogue with non-Christians,” said the prior of the Taizé community, Brother Alois on Tuesday. A central motto of the meeting, which lasts until Sunday, is “Inner Life and Solidarity”.
The 4000 participants arriving from abroad will stay with hundreds of host families at a total of 36 guest locations in Rostock and the surrounding area. The central event location is the HanseMesse in Rostock. Prayers, songs and workshops are also distributed to guest locations and institutions in downtown Rostock. The vast majority of guests come from Germany with 2600, followed by Poland (650), Croatia (250) and France (240). Former Federal President Joachim Gauck will take part in the meeting on Friday.
The organizers said that this time a lot of emphasis was placed on organic quality when it came to eating. The Mühlenbäckerei Medewege in Schwerin put in an extra shift to bake 7,000 rolls a day, as its boss Christian Fries explained. It also supplies a total of 30,000 biscuits, 1200 liters of tea and 16,000 cans of soup for lunch. The logistics are also taken care of. The young people can use public transport with a free ticket, as Stefan Wiedmer, Managing Director of the Warnow Transport Association (VVW), announced.
The Swiss Roger Schutz founded the community in Taizé in eastern France during World War II. Brother Roger was stabbed to death by a mentally ill woman in 2005. His successor as Prior of the community, which includes 90 brothers from more than 30 nations, is Brother Alois Löser, who was born in Nördlingen and grew up in Stuttgart. The Taizé community is known for its catchy songs, which have been translated into many languages.
