Berlin Hosts Taize Youth Meeting

The 34th European Meeting of Youth, which is organized annually by the Taize community, will be held in Berlin from 28 December, 2011 to 1 January, 2012. The theme of the meeting is “the Way to new solidarity between people.” The event is held there at the invitation of the Catholic and Protestant Churches and the mayor of Berlin. Nearly 30 thousand young people will participate. Berlin has become for five days a symbol of the united Europe. The Prior of the Taize community, Brother Aloise called the participants to look for ways to overcome disintegration in Europe and bring spiritual values to the society.               

Two thousand persons represent Ukraine at the meeting. Traditionally, young Ukrainians take active part in the European Taize days of trust.  Young people of the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic Churches are the most active. However, this year the Ukrainian pilgrims include also a Protestant group of representatives of Pentecostal, Baptist and Charismatic Churches from the central and eastern Ukraine.