The title of this event, ‘Called to the Future,’ reflected God’s call to open ourselves to the voice of the Spirit within us and to listen to our sisters and brothers. This call resonated strongly with what is happening around us. In particular, faced with our fragmented, confused and divided Europe, faced with its growing insignificance in the global geopolitical landscape, there emerged an urgent call to show a path of reconciliation made possible by the power of communion.
It was primarily a working meeting, based on meditations and prayers (downloadable at the bottom of the page), presentations, lively exchanges in small groups – in the spirit of listening – and plenary sessions. The aim was to strengthen fraternal communion and to understand the voice of the Spirit in view of new steps for the future. The Covenant of Mutual Love (according to Jn 13:34) could not be missing, renewed as every year in a solemn manner, and all the more relevant in a phase of generational change in which our ecumenical network finds itself. In line with this change, Fr. Lothar Penners (Schönstatt) and Gerhard Pross (YMCA) presented a book that collects the fundamental texts and various testimonies on the history of TfE: ‘Highlights of Unity – Experiences from 25 Years of Together for Europe,’ which will be published shortly.
In order to give visibility to this journey and highlight a sign of hope for the citizens of Europe, the project of a large European meeting has been considered. In a wide-ranging exchange, ideas and proposals emerged, which will now be examined and finalised in the coming months by the Steering Committee. A central event is envisaged in conjunction with similar initiatives in various European cities, tentatively scheduled for spring 2028. This would be significant, coming 30 years after John Paul II’s first meeting with the new Catholic Movements and Communities. That meeting marked the beginning of a journey of communion between them, which the movements of the Reformation churches were the first to join, followed by other Churches.
The presence of influential representatives from various movements – Nuria Alonso (CHARIS), Fadi Krikor (Treffen von Verantwortlichen), Reinhardt Schink (Evangelische Allianz Deutschland), Valeria Martano (Comunità Sant’Egidio), Margaret Karram and Jesus Moran (Focolare Movement) and others – strengthened communion and confirmed the convergence of intentions.
There was widespread anticipation for young adults to play a more prominent role. A small group representing Romania, Slovakia and Italy immediately gathered in Castel Gandolfo to develop initial ideas for a second meeting in 2026 at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Edited by Diego Goller
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