A river runs through it: Danube ceremony seen as uniting East, West

Published: 2004-06-22

ULM, Germany (CNS) -- A brass band played hymns as hundreds of Christians wound their way through the narrow streets of Ulm, following an ornate cross with enameled scenes of the life of Christ. The procession wound its way to the banks of the Danube River. Catholic Deacon Josef Kaupp of Ulm called for peace for those who live along the river, which flows from Germany to Ukraine. "Our Orthodox brothers and sisters will immerse the cross in the Danube in our name and send a message of love along the Danube to the other peoples living along its banks," he said. The cross was made in Moscow for this blessing, part of the German Catholic Church assembly, or Katholikentag, and as it was dipped in the Danube June 17 Orthodox Christians sang. The crowd heard prayers in the various languages of people who live along the river.

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