Denmark: “Heavenly Days” starting today in Roskilde, ecumenical festival with 600 events on churches, faith and society

The ecumenical festival “Himmelske dage”, “Heavenly Days”, held every three years in Denmark, is starting in Roskilde today with over 600 events on churches, faith and society. The motto for this edition is “Grab the Future”, because we want to investigate “how faith can be used as a lever for a future that seems uncertain and unstable to many in these times”, the organizers explain. Particularly, we want to investigate “the role of churches in addressing climate change and global inequalities, new ways of organizing society, and new human visions”. The event, that has been held since 1968, is organised by the Danish National Church, some free churches, the Catholic Church, and a wide range of church organizations of different inspiration. The opening event this afternoon, on Ascension Day, is a great and joyful celebration at Byparken. Then other events will be held at different venues in Roskilde. On Cathedral Square, for instance, the “Market of opportunities” was set up. And in the Pilgrims’ Village at St. Hans Garden, a large tent was erected, “the Cathedral – Areopagus”, “a space of silence and daily meditation, dance and spiritual practices”. The Catholic community organized a series of events in the Church of St Lawrence, including a celebration presided over by Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm (27 May), a meeting with Archbishop Cristóbal López Romero of Rabat, and a reflection on “St John of the Cross - a guide for our time on our journey of faith” (Eva Maria Nielsen).
Valentina Bombelli