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Taize pilgrimage heralds a change of heart
MANILA, Feb. 6, 2010—Meeting the challenges in the
world, from social to political, requires an individual change
of heart, a religious leader said.
Brother Alois Löser, head of the Taize ecumenical group,
said major problems in the world demand more than just
economic and technological proposals.
Bro. Alois had looked at the world’s problems from the
point of view of the work that the Church, as the family of
God, has to do.
Such challenges, according to him, require an ethical
behavior which respects
the principles of universal
solidarity, social justice
and responsibility.
“We all feel that
there needs to be major
changes in our world.
The structures of our
societies and patterns
of thought from the past
are providing to be inadequate
and insufficient
to create greater justice
on earth, to reduce
poverty, to ensure that
persons and peoples can
live together in peace,”
Bro. Alois said.
“But we (must) also
discover that necessary
change, particularly an
Interfaith leaders to tackle roots of poverty
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 1, 2010—
Poverty, climate change and a lack of
education and good governance are the
key factors robbing people of their right
to a decent life, 70 religious leaders
from Indonesia and the U.S. who met
here say.
“We believe these concerns present
common challenges and responsibilities
to each of us and our communities.
“We are committed to taking common
action on urgent challenges that
confront us all,” the leaders said in a
joint recommendation issued at the end
of an interfaith forum last week.
The recommendations were presented
jointly by Cardinal Theodore
McCarrick of Washington D.C. and
Bachtiar Effendi of Muhammadiyah
Indonesia’s second-largest Islamic organization.
Vast numbers of people are trapped
in “unprecedented structural poverty”
and denied any means of escape.
“Our religious communities are urgently
called to respond to this structural
poverty in new ways so as to enhance
our communities’ already established
and valuable practices of charity and
philanthropy,” they said.
It was essential and urgent to educate
religious communities on the causes
of structural poverty and to work with
governments.
Local religious communities, women’s
and youth groups and schools will
contribute to grassroots-led development
and public health programs, the
leaders said.
They will plan to develop multireligious
partnerships while engaging
the public sector in order to equip
local religious communities for such
programs.
Rapid global warming, pollution
and the depletion of natural resources
have threatened the foundation of human
life.
“Our religious communities are
called to protect the integrity of the
environment, even while they are also
called to advance a just and sustainable
overhaul of the world economic and financial system, is not
possible without a change in the human heart,” he said.
Bro. Alois made the statement during the “Taize Pilgrimage
of Trust” held at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in
Makati City.
Pilgrims
Around 3,000 young pilgrims—Christians and Muslims—from
Asian countries as well as from Europe, Australia,
New Zealand and even from North America attended
the gathering.
Bro. Alois stressed that in today’s world, people “thirst
for life in (its) fullness.”
In every human heart there is longing, the longing to
be loved and to love, he said. At the same time, he added,
people experience that said longing is only rarely satisfied,
and never for all time.
“From discouraging us, this can allow us to discover over
and over again a personal communion with God,” he said.
“And then our heart changes. And not only our heart,
but also our way of looking and our behavior.”
“We become more capable of discerning what is good
and what is bad; without being naive we become better
able to dialogue, to reach out to others, to make our life a
pilgrimage of trust,” said Bro. Alois, adding that “And in
this way we will contribute as believers to help determine
the face of the new world that is emerging.”
The pilgrimage at the Don Bosco ended on Feb. 7 with
a Eucharistic celebration led by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio
Cardinal Rosales and several other bishops and priests.
(Roy Lagarde)
development for all,” they said.
In education it was important to
promote the freedom of belief for all and
to honor the value of diverse religious
contributions to the good of society.
“Religious communities must equip
themselves to work with each other to
advance the common good while retaining
their distinct religious identities,”
they said.
They also called upon the existing
Indonesian, American, and international
religious and multi-religious bodies to
both support them and join them in their
commitment to shared action.
Tod Brown, president of the US
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USC-
CB) also attended the meeting.
On the Indonesian side, participants
included leaders of the Indonesian Bishops’
Conference, Indonesian Council of
Churches, Confucian Supreme Council
in Indonesia (Matakin), Indonesian
Buddhist Council (Walubi), Muhammadyah,
Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), the
Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and
the Indonesian Committee for Religions
and Peace. (CNA)
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IMPACT • February 2010