5,000 scouts from Europe, including Ukraine, set to arrive in Rome to meet Pope
The international meeting of Catholic Scouts of Europe, which is called Euromoot, will be held from July 27 to August 3, 2019, and will offer an opportunity to scouts from more than 20 countries, including Ukraine, to meet, build friendly relations on common spiritual and cultural principles.
According to Vatican Radio, the week-long meeting of Catholic scouts is divided into three stages:
The first of them will be a pilgrimage and it will follow the footsteps of European saints. There are several historical routes on which scouts will get acquainted with such saints as Francis of Assisi, Benedict of Nursia, St. Catherine of China, St. Cyril and Methodius. Hiking groups will comprise representatives of different countries.
The aim of this stage is to take root in the heritage of Christian culture. At the end of this pilgrimage, all participants will travel to four places near Rome, where the second two-day stage of the meeting will begin. It will be based on the knowledge of European cultures and traditions of each of the 20 nations to be represented at the meeting. The international meeting of the Catholic Scouts of Europe will end on August 3 in the hall named after Pope Paul VI in the Vatican where they will be received by Pope Francis. They will also mark the 25th anniversary of the scouts ' meeting with Pope John Paul II. This is the third stage of the event.
After the meeting with the Holy Father, the scouts will attend the Holy mass which will be celebrated in the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa (Italy) and President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe.
The Federation of European Scouting is an international Catholic Association, officially recognized by the Vatican. The majority of its members are from France and Italy. Catholic scouting of Europe is successfully developing in Ukraine.
