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Every evening during the meeting, at the end of the prayer, Brother Alois will speak to the participants. The texts of these meditations will be published on this page. Brother Alois, Prague, Thursday 1 January 2015 We have received such a generous welcome. I would like to thank the families, the parishes, the Church leaders, those in the administration of the city and the region who enabled our meeting to run so smoothly. Thank you for schools you have provided. It is a joy that the European meeting has brought together Christians of different denominations as well as people who do not share faith in Christ but who seek to be peacemakers. Christ gave his life to bring together all human beings into one great family. He calls his followers to be a sign of his peace in the world. It is in order to constitute such a sign that reconciliation between Christians is so urgent. One question that we Christians urgently want to find an answer to is this: how to show by our lives that unity is possible while respecting pluralism? There will always be differences between Christians. They will remain an invitation to frank dialogue; they can also be enriching. But has not the time come to give priority to the baptismal identity common to us all, which already unites us in Christ? Today should not the Christian Churches dare to come under one roof, even before an agreement is reached on all theological questions? These days, you, the various Churches of Prague, are welcoming us—Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox. I am particularly touched that we are living this sign of unity in the land of John Hus, whose violent death will be remembered next year. The responsibilities for that division of the Church in the fifteenth century are shared, but his personality, of such integrity, leads us all to repent and be reconciled. Christ gives unity when and as he wishes. But if we do not wait for it together, how can he give us this gift? It is when they were gathered under one roof, with Mary as well, that the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit always unites us in our diversity. How can we come under one roof? I would like to make six suggestions: In a local community, we can come under one roof, among neighbors and families, as in "grass-roots communities", to pray together, to assist one another, and to get to know each other better. Local communities of different confessions are already collaborating in the study of the Bible, in social and pastoral activity, in catechesis. This could be intensified. Each community should do with Christians of other denominations all that it is possible to do together, and do nothing without taking the others into account. We are together in this beautiful Cathedral. Could not, in many cities, the cathedral or the main church become a common house of prayer for all the Christians in the area? Theological dialogue must continue. Would it be possible to do this more and more in a context of common prayer and with the awareness that we are already together? By living and praying together, properly theological questions are dealt with in a different way. Perhaps one could say the same for ethical reflection. All believers have received a portion of the pastoral gift to care for one another. The Christian family which is the Church also needs ministries of unity, at all levels. A ministry of communion at the universal level is traditionally associated with the Bishop of Rome. Could he not be recognized as the servant who cares for the concord of his brothers and sisters in their great diversity? Would it not be possible for the Churches to imagine different ways to relate to this ministry? Should not those Churches which emphasize that unity in the faith and agreement on ministries are required to receive communion together give as much weight to the harmony of mutual love? Could not they offer a wider Eucharistic hospitality to those who express the desire for unity and believe in the real presence of Christ? The Eucharist is not only the summit of unity; it is also the road to unity. Let us agree to go forward on a road that we do not know in advance, rooting ourselves in these words of Isaiah: "I will lead the blind on paths they have never known." We place our trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us on paths still unknown. His inspiration prepares us to become authentic witnesses of communion. Brother Alois, Prague, Wednesday evening, 31 December 2014 When you arrived in Prague, you received the “Proposals” for the coming year, centered on Jesus’ call to be the salt of the earth. He does not say “You must be,” but simply “You are the salt of the earth.” The salt is mixed with the earth of humanity. Christ sends us everywhere to bring the good news of God’s love. How wonderful! God does not diffuse his peace magically from above, but through our lives. He puts his trust in us. He invites us to be a leaven of peace in the dough of humanity, this humanity tragically torn apart by conflicts, whether armed or not. God awaits from us a yes to his love. A yes like the one Mary spoke, a courageous yes, expressing all our trust. In addition to her, countless other witnesses of God support us. Brother Roger is part of that cloud of witnesses. During the coming year we will remember him. At Taizé, in addition to meetings every week there will be a meeting for young people living in community, and another one for young theologians. On the week of August 9 to 16 a “Gathering for a New Solidarity” will be held. Why “new solidarity”? New, because it is a matter of deciding anew to live in solidarity. Everyone can make friendship between human beings and between peoples a priority, and contribute to this through the gifts they have received. The effort, or even the sacrifices that this entails, give joy and meaning to life. New, too, because we are facing unknown challenges. How can we be part of globalization in a positive way, one that does not entail oppression of the poor or of minority cultures? How can we live in an increasingly technological world? Among the main issues too are undoubtedly migration and ecology. New, finally, because solidarity involves a change in our attitudes. Helping the very poor will always be necessary. But respect for the dignity of every human being leads us to abandon a paternalistic attitude in order to live in reciprocity. Those who are poorer than we are have much to give; they make us more human, sometimes they help us better to understand the Gospel in all its depth. In Taizé we do not have any ready-made solutions to these hard questions; our community wants rather to offer a platform for searching, for encounters between people and different initiatives. Mutual listening can cause projects to arise; it may lead some people to take far-reaching decisions for their future. Brother Roger sought to live a life of brotherhood, not to remain on a theoretical level. At 25 he began in Taizé all by himself, and then the first brothers came. They made a life-commitment together. Brother Roger never could have imagined what would grow from this small seed. His life encourages us to begin with almost nothing. All of us, in the places where we live, want to be pilgrims of trust. The trusting of faith is in fact what animates our lives each day. Large celebrations, like our meeting in Prague, are not an end in themselves but support us on our journey forward. For the future, then, we are preparing other stages of the pilgrimage of trust. After the youth of America, Asia and Africa, young people of Oceania want to be a part of our pilgrimage. The next steps will take place already very soon, in February, in Australia and New Zealand. A year and a half from now, in 2016, we will return to the continent so close to Europe and yet so little understood, to Africa. After the meetings in Kenya and then in Rwanda, young people from West Africa will come together and also invite people from other continents to this stage of the pilgrimage of trust. We will be welcomed in early September 2016 in Benin, at Cotonou. And in a year, at the end of 2015, there will be the next European meeting. We will go to a Southern country well known for its warm hospitality, but one which is undergoing economic difficulties. From December 28 to January 1 we are invited to Spain, to the city of Valencia. To conclude, I will say a few words to the Spanish people here. To the young people of Spain I want to say: you are spiritual sons and daughters of Saint Teresa of Avila, whose 500th anniversary is being celebrated, and also of John of the Cross. In their day they reawakened a mystical life in Spain. Your generation is called in its turn to light the fire of a renewed faith in your country. We will go to Valencia to be touched by that fire, so that it can burn across Europe. Brother Alois, Prague, Tuesday evening, 30 December 2014 Having come from all the countries of Europe, and also from other continents, we are letting ourselves be inspired these days by the words of Christ: “You are the salt of the earth.” And we are looking in particular at how these words encourage us to be creators of peace on earth. What joy to see our lives in this light! Our European meeting can make us more aware of the universal communion that Christ wants to create between human beings. Scattered throughout the earth, we can then help allow the peace of God to shine out in humanity. Here in the Czech Republic, we are receiving a wonderful welcome. Certainly, the Christians are a minority. But there is also in this country a noble humanist tradition, nourished by art, literature, painting and music. In this way believers and non-believers together support a tendency that can resist the bland materialism which threatens our societies. Christians are a minority here as they are in many parts of the world, and as the early Christians were. They are salt of the earth not by seeking power, not by imposing their views on society, but by being simple peacemakers and working for justice in the places where they live. I would like to say to the Czech Christians: you really are salt of the earth. This is as true today as it was in the past. Our Taizé Community keeps alive the memory of so many witnesses to the faith in your country who fought for freedom and who were willing to pay the price with their lives. I think especially of Maria and Jiří Kaplan, who have already joined Christ in the life of eternity. You young Europeans, do you know that Cardinal Duka who, as Archbishop of Prague, together with the leaders of other Churches has been so supportive of the preparation of this meeting, do you know that he spent time in prison because of his faith? I also want to mention Pastor Alfréd Kocáb, the first Czech who came to Taizé with his wife Darja in 1967. For many years he was forbidden to exercise his ministry; he worked stoking the heating in a museum. In the cellar, beside the coal, he met with theology students in secret and taught courses, including one on St. John of the Cross. He is now ill and could not come to be with us, but we greet him through television. To all the young people taking part in this European meeting, various concrete proposals have been made for the coming year. One of these proposals is to spend half an hour in silence every Sunday night, with others, for world peace. This is half an hour devoted first of all to entrusting to God countries and people suffering from violence. It is also a time to welcome the peace of Christ into ourselves to prepare us to be, in the places where we live, peacemakers and creators of justice. Last year our pilgrimage of trust took us to several countries of America, including Cuba. Many young Cubans told us that they felt too isolated. They asked me to greet the young people in Prague. So, you are warmly greeted by the young people of Cuba! These young people have written short prayers of intercession they wanted to entrust to you. At the end of this prayer you will receive a small paper with one of these intercessions. Your prayer will support the youth of Cuba. And finally, some news. Among us there are young people from Russia, from Belarus and from Ukraine, belonging to different churches. With them we know that Christ is our hope, our peace. So, with a few of my brothers and with young people from different countries of Europe, we will go on pilgrimage to celebrate the resurrection of Christ together with them in their countries during the Orthodox feast of Easter next April 12. One hundred young people from other countries can take part in this pilgrimage in Russia and in Ukraine. Those of you who would like to come with us either to spend five days in Moscow or five days in Kiev and Lviv will find information on the sheet you have received and can come and talk about this tomorrow at 5pm in Hall 6. Tomorrow morning, in groups, you will reflect on these words of Christ "Blessed are the peacemakers" and you will think about what concrete steps to undertake both near and far away in order to create peace. Brother Alois, Prague, Monday evening, 29 December 2014 It is a great joy to be here together in the Czech Republic, at the center of Europe. Already on this first day, we want to thank all those who have prepared such a generous welcome. We already held a European meeting here in 1990, a year after the unforgettable “velvet revolution,” that moment of freedom when borders fell. At Taizé, and I think that we are far from alone in this, we remain grateful to the people of Central and Eastern Europe for having shown that the unexpected was possible. The memory of this great liberation offers hope that even today, at this moment of tension in the world, a peaceful future is possible. Our meeting clearly shows that among every people there are women and men who want peace. These days we will pray for those suffering from violence and war—in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere. The Lebanese who are here with us bear within themselves the trials of their region. Their country hosts thousands of refugees from Iraq and Syria. I would like to tell them: remember that all of us are close to you in prayer and in our hearts. During our meeting in 1990 the President of the Republic, Václav Havel, told us: "The ‘pilgrimage of trust on earth’ comes to help us search for the sources of the faith and the new spiritual values lost during the decades of the totalitarian regime.” This is still so true today! To live in peace and to contribute to world peace, Europe must of course be built up by closer economic and political relations. But the motivation must spring from a deeper source. For us, this source is in the peace that Christ communicates to us. We want to be a leaven of peace in humanity. For this it is indispensable to welcome the peace of God in our hearts. In the coming months, we shall be guided by the Gospel words: “You are the salt of the earth.” Christ warns us: make sure that the salt does not lose its flavor! We must not give in to discouragement and pessimism. But how can we welcome the peace of Christ that God wants to give us? We cannot always feel the presence of God. A believer can also experience the night of faith. Our trust in God can be combined with doubt in the face of a mystery that is so far beyond us. Does not welcoming the peace of Christ mean having simple trust in a presence? A child can show this trust naturally. We adults have to choose it. This choice is made with all our being, with the mind and the emotions. Our trust remains fragile throughout our life; it grows when we share it with others. Then there can be moments of light, of clarity, of joy. We understand that this is the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Risen Christ, who dwells in our hearts. These days we will renew our faith in the Holy Spirit, who communicates the peace of Christ. We cannot keep this peace for ourselves alone; it becomes kindness towards others, refusal of injustices, and commitment with all our strength to make the earth a place fit to live in for all. There are a great many ways to reach the source of Christ’s peace. There is prayer, even when it is poor. There is also beauty, that of nature, that which art reveals to us. To be salt of the earth, it is indispensable to keep alive in us the “zest for life”. But how? You will speak about this tomorrow morning. Joyfully and with all our energy, let us try to find some answers. Jesus assures us: “Seek and you shall find.”
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Brat Alois, Prag, ponedjeljak uvečer 29. prosinca 2014 Velika je radost biti zajedno ovdje u Češkoj, u središtu Europe. Već danas, prvog dana susreta, želimo zahvaliti svima koji su nam pripremili toliko velikodušnu dobrodošlicu. Već smo ovdje održali Europski susret, 1990. god., godinu dana nakon nezaboravne »baršunaste revolucije«, tog trenutka slobode, kada su srušene granice. Mi u Taizéu, zasigurno nismo jedini, zahvalni smo ljudima Središnje i Istočne Europe, što su nam pokazali kako su neočekivane stvari doista moguće. Sjećanje na ovo veliko oslobođenje daje nam i danas nadu da je čak u trenutnim napetostima u svijetu moguće ostvariti mirnu budućnost. Naš susret jasno pokazuje da u svim narodima ima žena i muškaraca koji žele mir. Ovih dana moliti ćemo za one koji pate od nasilja i rata - u Ukrajini, na Bliskom istoku i drugdje. Libanonci koji su ovdje s nama nose u sebi kušnje iz svoje zemlje. Njihova je zemlja naime domaćin tisućama izbjeglica iz Iraka i Sirije. Želio bih im reći: ne zaboravite da smo svi mi uz vas, u molitvama i u našim srcima. Tijekom našeg susreta 1990. godine, predsjednik Republike, Václav Havel nam je rekao: »’Hodočašće povjerenja na Zemlji’ dolazi nam pomoći u traganju za izvorima vjere i novim duhovnim vrijednostima koje su se izgubile tijekom nekoliko desetljeća totalitarnog režima.« To još uvijek vrijedi i dan danas! Za život u miru i da bi se pridonijelo svjetskome miru, Europa se dakako mora izgrađivati uspostavom tjesnijih ekonomskih i političkih odnosa. No, motivacija za to mora izvirati iz dubljeg izvora. Za nas, taj se izvor nalazi u miru kojega nam daje Isus Krist. Želimo biti kvasac mira u čovječanstvu. Za to je neophodno otvoriti se Božjem miru u našim srcima. Idućih mjeseci dajemo se voditi evanđeoskim riječima: »Vi ste sol zemlje«. Krist nas upozorava: pazite da sol ne izgubi svoj okus! Ne smijemo se prepustiti malodušnosti i pesimizmu. Ali kako možemo primiti Kristov mir kojega nam Bog želi darovati? Ne možemo uvijek osjećati Božju prisutnost. Vjernik može iskusiti i tamnu noć vjere. Naše pouzdanje u Boga može se ispreplitati sa sumnjom, suočeno s otajstvom koje je toliko onkraj nas. Ne znači li otvaranje prema Kristovu miru jednostavno povjerenje u prisutnost? Dijete prirodno može pokazati takvo povjerenje. Mi, odrasli, moramo ga odlučno izabrati. Ovu odluku činimo svim svojim bićem, umom i emocijama. Naše povjerenje ostaje krhko tijekom cijelog života; raste kad ga podijelimo s drugima. Tada možemo doživjeti trenutke svjetla, jasnoće, radosti. Mi shvaćamo da je to prisutnost Duha Svetoga, Duha uskrsloga Krista koji prebiva u našim srcima. Ovih dana obnovit ćemo svoju vjeru u Duha Svetoga, koji nam daruje Kristov mir. Taj mir ne možemo zadržati samo za sebe; on postaje ljubaznost prema drugima, odbijanje nepravdi, i predanost da svim svojim snagama učinimo naš planet mjestom primjerenim za život svih ljudi na Zemlji. Na brojne se načine može doći do izvora Kristova mira. Tu je molitva, čak i kada je skromna. Tu je i ljepota, ljepota prirode, ljepota koju nam otkriva umjetnost. Da bismo bili »sol zemlje«, nužno je sačuvati u sebi »životni polet«. Ali kako? Vi ćete govoriti o tome sutra ujutro. Pokušajmo dakle radosno, sa svim svojim snagama, pronaći neke odgovore. Isus nas uvjerava: »Tražite i naći ćete.« Brat Alois, Prag, utorak uvečer, 30. prosinca 2014. Pristigavši ovamo iz svih zemalja Europe, ali i sa drugih kontinenata, ovih se dana prepuštamo nadahnuću Kristovih riječi: »Vi ste sol zemlje.« Posebice promatramo kako nas ove riječi potiču da postanemo stvaratelji mira na Zemlji. Kakva je radost vidjeti naše živote u tom svjetlu! Naš Europski susret može nam osvijestiti sveopće zajedništvo koje Krist želi stvoriti među ljudima. Prisutni u cijelome svijetu, možemo pridonijeti da mir Božji zasja u ljudskoj obitelji. Ovdje u Češkoj smo dobili prekrasnu dobrodošlicu. Kršćani su, dakako, mala manjina. Međutim, ova se zemlja odlikuje i plemenitom humanističkom tradicijom koja se napajala umjetnošću, književnošću, slikarstvom i glazbom. Na taj način vjernici i nevjernici zajedno podržavaju težnju koja je u stanju oduprijeti se dosadnom materijalizmu koji ugrožava naše društvo. Kršćani su ovdje u manjini kao što je to i u mnogim dijelovima svijeta, te kao što su to bili prvi kršćani. Oni su sol zemlje ne po tome što traže vlast, ne nametanjem svojih stavova društvu, nego svojim jednostavnim mirotvorstvom i aktivnim zauzimanjem za pravdu u mjestima gdje žive. Želio bih reći češkim kršćanima slijedeće: vi ste zaista sol zemlje. To vrijedi danas kao i u prošlosti. Naša Zajednica iz Taizéa održava uspomenu na tolike svjedoke vjere u vašoj zemlji, koji su se borili za slobodu i koji su bili spremni platiti cijenu svojim životima. Pri tom poglavito mislim na Mariju i Jiřía Kaplana, koji su se već pridružili Kristu u vječnosti. Vi mladi Europljani, znate li da je kardinal Duka, koji je kao nadbiskup Praga, zajedno s predstavnicima drugih Crkava, toliko zdušno podržao pripremu ovoga susreta, znate li da je bio u zatvoru zbog svoje vjere? Također želim spomenuti pastora Alfreda Kocaba, prvog Čeha koji je došao u Taizé, sa suprugom Darjom, 1967. godine. Dugi niz godina bilo mu je zabranjeno vršiti svoju službu; radio je kao ložač grijanja u muzeju. U podrumu, uz hrpe ugljena, potajno se susretao sa studentima teologije i poučavao, održavao tečajeve, između ostalog o sv. Ivanu od Križa. Nažalost, sada je bolestan i nije mogao biti ovdje s nama, ali pozdravljamo ga putem televizije. Za sve mlade koji sudjeluju na onom Europskom susretu pripremili smo različite konkretne prijedloge za nadolazeću godinu. Jedan od tih prijedloga je svake nedjelje navečer, zajedno s drugima, provesti pola sata u tišini za mir u svijetu. Tih pola sata posvećeno je u prvom redu tome da povjerimo Bogu sve zemlje i ljude, žrtve nasilja u svijetu. Ali, to je također vrijeme da se otvorimo Kristovom miru da uđe u nas i pripremi nas da u mjestima u kojima živimo, budemo tvorci mira i pravednosti. Prošle godine nas je naše Hodočašće povjerenja odvelo u nekoliko zemalja Amerike, uključujući Kubu. Mnogi mladi Kubanci su nam rekli da su se osjećali vrlo izolirano. Zamolili su me da pozdravim sve mlade u Pragu. Dakle, toplo vas pozdravljaju mladi s Kube! Ovi mladi ljudi napisali su kratke molitvene nakane koje su vam željeli povjeriti. Na kraju ove molitve dobiti ćete papirić s jednom takvim nakanom. Vaša će molitva podržati mlade Kubance. I na kraju, neke vijesti: Među nama se nalaze i mladi iz Rusije, Bjelorusije te iz Ukrajine, koji pripadaju različitim Crkvama. S njima znamo da je Krist naša nada, naš mir. Stoga, zajedno s nekolicinom moje braće i s mladima iz različitih zemalja Europe, ići ćemo na hodočašće kako bismo zajedno s njima proslavili Kristovo uskrsnuće u njihovim zemljama tijekom pravoslavne svetkovine Uskrsa idućeg 12. travnja. Stotinjak mladih iz drugih zemalja također može sudjelovati u ovom hodočašću u Rusiji i Ukrajini. Oni među vama koji bi željeli zajedno s nama provesti pet dana u Moskvi ili pet dana u Kijevu i Lvovu možete doći i razgovarati o tome sutra u 17:00, u paviljonu br. 6 na velesajmu. Sutra ujutro ćete u malim skupinama razmišljati o ovim Kristovim riječima: »Blago mirotvorcima« i razmišljati ćete o konkretnim koracima, bližim ili daljim, koje možete poduzeti u cilju stvaranja mira u svijetu. Brat Alois, Prag, srijeda uvečer, 31.12.2014. Pri dolasku u Prag dobili ste »Prijedloge« za nadolazeću godinu, usredotočene na Isusov poziv da budete sol zemlje. Isus ne kaže: »Morate biti«, nego jednostavno govori: »Vi ste sol zemlje«. Sol je pomiješana sa zemljom čovječanstva. Krist nas šalje posvuda kako bismo donosili radosnu vijest o Božjoj ljubavi. Doista prekrasno! Bog ne prosipa svoj mir odozgo kao nekom čarolijom, nego kroz naše živote. Bog stavlja svoje povjerenje u nas. Poziva nas da budemo kvasac mira u tijestu čovječanstva, čovječanstva tragično razdiranog oružanim ili neoružanim sukobima. Bog očekuje od nas »da« njegovoj ljubavi; izricanje onog »da« poput Marije, hrabrog »da«, izražavajući mu svo naše povjerenje. U tome nas osim Marije podržavaju i nebrojeni drugi svjedoci Božji. Brat Roger je također dio tog oblaka svjedoka vjere. Sjećat ćemo ga se tijekom nadolazeće godine. Osim tjednih susreta mladih u Taizéu, održat će se i susret mladih koji žive u zajednicama kao i susret mladih teologa. U tjednu od 9. do 16. kolovoza održat će se »Okupljanje za novu solidarnost«. Zašto »Nova solidarnost«? Nova, jer je riječ o tome da se iznova odlučimo za život u solidarnosti. Svatko si može postaviti kao prioritet prijateljstva među ljudima i narodima, te doprinijeti darovima koje je smo svi primili. Napor, ili čak i žrtve koje to iziskuju, daju radost i smisao vašem životu. Nova, također, jer se suočavamo s nepoznatim izazovima. Kako možemo biti dio globalizacije u pozitivnom smislu, one koja ne uključuje ugnjetavanje siromašnih ili manjinskih kultura? Kako možemo živjeti u svijetu sa sve većom rastućom tehnologijom? Među glavnim problemima ističu se također migracije stanovništva i zaštita okoliša. Nova, naposljetku, jer solidarnost uključuje i promjenu naših stavova. Uvijek će trebati pomagati veoma siromašnima. No, poštivanje dostojanstva svakog ljudskog bića navodi nas na odbacivanje bilo kakvoga pokroviteljskog stava kako bismo mogli živjeti u jednakosti. Oni koji su siromašniji od nas imaju puno toga za dati; čine nas humanijima, ponekad nam pomažu da bolje razumijemo Evanđelje u svoj njegovoj dubini. U Taizéu nemamo nikakva gotova rješenja tih teških pitanja; naša zajednica radije želi ponuditi platformu traganja za rješenjima, za susrete među ljudima i različite inicijative. Uzajamno slušanje može potaknuti mnoge projekte; neki ljudi mogu donijeti i dalekosežne odluke za svoju budućnost. Brat Roger je nastojao živjeti život bratstva; nije želio ostati isključivo na teorijskoj razini. U dobi od 25 godina započeo je sam u Taizéu, a onda su došla prva braća. Zajedno su položili životni zavjet. Brat Roger nije mogao ni zamisliti što će jednom kasnije izrasti iz ovog malog sjemena. Njegov nas život potiče da započnemo djelovati, gotovo bez ičega. Svi mi, u mjestima u kojima živimo, želimo biti hodočasnici povjerenja. Povjerenje vjere jest zapravo ono što nas svakodnevno oživljava. Velike proslave, kao i naši susreti u Pragu, nisu cilj sam po sebi, ali nas oni podupiru u našem napredovanju. Nastavljamo pripremati druge etape Hodočašća povjerenja. Nakon mladih Amerike, Azije i Afrike, i mladi Oceanije žele biti dio našeg hodočašća. Sljedeći koraci uslijedit će ubrzo, u veljači, u Australiji i Novom Zelandu. Za godinu i pol dana, 2016. godine, vratit ćemo se na kontinent vrlo blizak Europi, a opet slabo shvaćen, u Afriku. Nakon susreta u Keniji, a zatim i u Ruandi, mladi iz Zapadne Afrike okupit će se i pozvati mlade s drugih kontinenata na ovu etapu Hodočašća povjerenja. Pružit će nam dobrodošlicu početkom rujna 2016. godine u Beninu, u Cotonou. I za godinu dana, krajem 2015. godine, održat će se sljedeći Europski susret. Ići ćemo u jednu južnu zemlju poznatu po svojoj gostoljubivosti, ali koja prolazi kroz gospodarske poteškoće. Od 28. prosinca do 1. siječnja 2016. pozvani smo u Valenciju. I naposljetku želio bih reći mladima iz Španjolske: vi ste duhovni sinovi i kćeri svete Tereze Avilske, čiju 500. godišnjicu rođenja upravo slavimo, ali ste i duhovna djeca svetog Ivana od Križa. U svoje su doba ovo dvoje svetaca obnovili mistični život Španjolske. Danas je vaša generacija pozvana ponovo upaliti vatru vjere u svojoj domovini. Ići ćemo u Valenciju pa neka i nas zahvati taj plamen vjere i neka se proširi cijelom Europom. Brat Alois, Prag, četvrtak 1. siječnja 2015. Velikodušno ste nas primili i izrazili nam dobrodošlicu. Želio bih zahvaliti obiteljima, župama, crkvenim poglavarima, gradskoj upravi i dužnosnicima uprava okolnih područja, koji su omogućili tako glatko odvijanje naših susreta. Hvala Vam za škole koje ste nam stavili na raspolaganje! Prava je radost što je Europski susret okupio kršćane različitih vjeroispovijesti, kao i ljude koji ne dijele vjeru u Krista, ali koji žele biti mirotvorci. Krist je dao svoj život da okupi sve ljude u jednu veliku obitelj. On poziva svoje sljedbenike da budu znak njegova mira u ovome svijetu. Kako bismo postali takvim znakom mira ključno je žurno ostvariti pomirenje među kršćanima. Jedno od pitanja na koje mi, kršćani, silno želimo pronaći odgovor je sljedeće: Kako posvjedočiti svojim životom da je jedinstvo moguće uz istodobno poštivanje pluralizma? Uvijek će biti razlika među kršćanima. One će i dalje ostati pozivom na iskren dijalog; one nas mogu i obogatiti. Nije li došlo vrijeme da damo prednost krsnom identitetu zajedničkome svima nama, a koji nas već ujedinjuje u Kristu? Ne bi li se kršćanske Crkve danas trebale ujediniti pod istim krovom, čak i prije nego li se postigne dogovor o svim teološkim pitanjima? Ovih dana razne nam Crkve u Pragu iskazuju dobrodošlicu – protestanti, katolici i pravoslavci. Osobito sam dirnut što živimo ovaj znak jedinstva u zemlji Jana Husa, čije ćemo se obljetnice nasilne smrti prisjetiti iduće godine. Odgovornost za podjelu Crkve u 15. stoljeću je podijeljena odnosno zajednička, međutim osobnost Jana Husa i njegovo poštenje navodi sve nas na pokajanje i na pomirenje. Krist daje jedinstvo, kada i kako želi. Ali ako ga ne budemo iščekivali zajedno, kako nam ga onda može udijeliti? Upravo kada su apostoli bili okupljeni pod jednim krovom, zajedno s Marijom, primili su dar Duha Svetoga. A Duh Sveti nas uvijek ujedinjuje u različitosti. Kako da se ujedinimo pod jednim krovom? Želio bih dati šest prijedloga: U lokalnoj zajednici, možemo se ujediniti pod istim krovom, među susjedima i obiteljima, kao kakva »bazna zajednica«, možemo moliti zajedno, kako bismo si uzajamno pomagali, a i da se bolje upoznamo. Lokalne zajednice različitih vjeroispovijesti već surađuju: u proučavanju Biblije, u društvenom i pastoralnom djelovanju, u katehezi. To bi se moglo intenzivirati. Svaka zajednica treba činiti s kršćanima drugih vjeroispovijesti sve što je moguće činiti zajedno, i ne bi smjela poduzimati ništa, a da pri tom ne uzme druge u obzir. Okupljeni smo zajedno u ovoj prekrasnoj katedrali. Ne bi li, u mnogim gradovima, katedrala ili glavna crkva mogla postati zajedničkom kućom molitve za sve kršćane toga područja? Teološki dijalog mora se nastaviti. Bi li se to moglo činiti sve više i više u kontekstu zajedničke molitve i sa sviješću da mi kršćani već jesmo zajedno? Živeći i moleći zajedno, drugačije pristupamo teološkim pitanjima. Možda bi se to isto moglo reći i za etička promišljanja. Svi su vjernici primili dio pastoralnog dara da skrbe jedni o drugima. Kršćanskoj obitelji odnosno Crkvi također trebaju službenici jedinstva, na svim razinama. Služenje zajedništvu na sveopćoj razini tradicionalno se povezuje s rimskim biskupom. Ne bi li ga se moglo prepoznati kao slugu koji brine za složnost svoje braće i sestara u svojoj njihovoj raznolikosti? Ne bi li Crkvama bilo moguće osmisliti različite načine odnosa prema ovoj službi? Nadalje, ne bi li one Crkve koje naglašavaju da je za zajedničko primanje svete pričesti potrebno jedinstvo u vjeri i slaganje u službama trebale pridati jednako velik značaj i skladu uzajamne ljubavi? Ne bi li te Crkve mogle ponuditi šire euharistijsko gostoprimstvo onima koji izražavaju želju za jedinstvom i vjeruju u stvarnu prisutnost Isusa Krista? Euharistija nije samo vrhunac jedinstva; ona je naime i put k jedinstvu. Složimo se stoga oko zajedničkog napredovanja na putu kojeg ne znamo unaprijed, ali budimo ukorijenjeni u riječima proroka Izaije: »Voditi ću slijepce po cestama, uputit’ ih putovima.« Uzdat ćemo se u Duha Svetoga da nas vodi još nepoznatim putovima. Nadahnuće Duhom Svetim nas priprema da postanemo autentični svjedoci zajedništva.