Katholikentag
The 101st Katholikentag, the annual meeting of the German laity, ended yesterday in Münster with a Eucharistic celebration attended by over 30,000 faithful. From Wednesday, 9 May, over 70,000 people have flocked to the places where the events were being held, participating as guests in conferences, parties, prayers and banquets under the official slogan “Seek Peace”. In his homily, Card. Reinhard Marx, President of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), asked the faithful to live the experience of Christian faith with courage and trust in the future. “We need living witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, people who speak and live the faith”, Card. Marx said. “We have no need of those who are mere executors, cold technocrats, power-seeking managers, dogmatic scribes”, the Cardinal said. No! We need witnesses who know that God is guiding them in bearing witness to eternal life. A powerful witness must be at the centre of the transmission of the faith”. According to the cardinal, since “Scriptures reveal that God is love”, “that is not a romantic feeling. God’s love becomes tangible in the person of Jesus. None of us can understand God unless we look at Jesus of Nazareth, who is love”, Card. Marx said. Then, focusing on the motto of the Katholikentag, “Seek Peace”, he encouraged the German laity: “We Christians know that Christ’s love creates peace. We are called to proclaim a God of peace. And, as Christians, we are sent out into the world with the obligation to contribute to this peace”.