12 Jun 2012
Taize night prayer at the Congress
Ecumenism was the name of the game at the 50th International Eucharistic Congress (IEC2012) today Monday 11th June, with an extensive programme of events on the RDS campus and main arena focusing on the importance of Christian Unity. The theme of the day was Exploring and Celebrating Our Communion through Baptism.
Brother Alois, Friar of the Taizé Community
A catechesis on our common baptism: ‘Communion and Baptism: A Passion for the Unity of Christ’s Body’ was delivered in the main RDS arena by Br Alois Löser, Prior of the Taizé Community, France. Dr Maria Voce, President of the International Focolare Movement, shared her personal testimony on ‘Word of Life’ before the Liturgy of Word and Water presided which was by Archbishop Michael Jackson.
Speaking during the liturgy of Word and Water, Archbishop Jackson said: “The importance to me of this Eucharistic Congress is … it speaks of the broader picture of the life of communion flowing from baptism. Once we accept that mission is, first and last, God’s mission, questions have to be asked about how we enable this gift of God to be the spiritual activity and the active spirituality of the church of today. And we need to be mindful always that God speaks through the world to the church, as also to the world through the church.”