Newsbits from DeutschlandStuttgart, May 12The scholastics spend most of their time learning intensive German. It is only on weekends that they have free time. Fr. Kintrup, a confrere in the community of Freiburg and an active member of the Focolare Movement invited the two scholastics for a gathering in Schleyer-Halle of Stuttgart one Saturday. “Together for Europe 2007” was the theme of the event. It was a huge gathering of 250 Christian Movements and Communities which belong to the Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, Anglican and Free Churches. More or less 8000 participants from 15 different nations of Europe were present. The message of the gathering was the gathering itself. The participants wanted to bear witness to the continual growth of a new communion among Christians, a fruit that only the Spirit of God can give. Prominent figures in European politics with several church movements and community leaders attended the said occasion. Among those who came were Jacques Barrot, the Vice-President of the European Commission and Romano Prodi, the Prime Minister of Italy. The Church leaders were Bishop Athanasios, representative of the Church of Greece in the European Union; the president of the Evangelical Church in Deutschland, Bishop Wolfgang Huber; Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the pontifical commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and many other famous preachers and founders of Christian communities. The foundress of the Focolare Movement, Chiara Lubich, was not able to come due to illness. The communion of the various Christian movements and communities were for the Church – a MIRACLE; for the politicians – an ENCOURAGEMENT; and for the participants – a long-term DUTY.
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