At assembly, Germans cite new era of European ecumenism

Published: 2004-06-17

ULM, Germany (CNS) -- Participants in a Catholic Church assembly in Germany said the country was at the dawn of a new era of ecumenism. About 25,000 people were participating in the church assembly, or "Katholikentag," being held June 16-20 in Ulm, in southwest Germany. During the opening ceremonies, Bishop Gebhard Furst of Rottenburg-Stuttgart said, "The next five days will be filled with meeting and discussion, celebration and prayer." The motto of the assembly is "Living From the Power of God." Bishop Furst urged participants to draw from that power. "Let us, as Christians firmly located in the world, make our contribution to a humane culture of life, to a politics based on Christian values, and to a Europe inspired with the Christian spirit," he said.

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