The Eurojam 2014 was a great celebration; a moment of joy lived in an immense community; a celebration of reconciliation and unity. Not only a great meeting of 12,500 European youngsters, not only a happening in the middle of nowhere, not only a spectacle in front of 25,000 eyes. What is the difference between the Eurojam and, let’s say, a music festival gathering the same (or an even higher) number of people as the Eurojam? A music festival gathers people who are enthusiastic of the same kind of music, so people who share an aspect, a part of them. The Eurojam doesn’t gather people who share something together, but who ARE something together, who form a single body, the body of Christ! Only in HIM we are really able to find reconciliation, reconciliation with God, with ourselves and with each other. Our unity in HIM is our strength and the only reason why European Scouting can exist. The Eurojam is the best expression of this unity. It shows to us – and to the world! – that peace among the nations is not only a beautiful dream, but can be realized if we have the strong will to go to the other, to listen and to understand the other. Even if we don’t speak the same language and don’t have the same habits and customs, we are sisters, brothers and God’s beloved children. We don’t share only the one ore other chosen aspect of ourselves, but our essence, our being. Once we have understood that, our diversity is not an obstacle any more, but the source of new discoveries, beautiful exchanges and deep joy.
The cross and icon of the World Youth Day arrived in Ukraine on Monday, September 9th. The Guides and Scouts of Europe participated in this important event as volunteers. Together with their religious advisors they transferred the cross and the icon in the city of Lviv from the main Roman Catholic Church (the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God) to the main Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (the Cathedral of Saint George).
All the bishops of Ukraine participated in this unique moment, led by the Heads of both local churches: the Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Mieczyslaw Cardinal Mokrzycki (who had been the personal secretary of Pope John Paul II for seven years).
The World Youth Day has arrived in the middle of the Guides and Scouts of Europe. On September 11th all National Commissioners of the Red Branches join together for kicking-off the preparation of welcoming all rangers and rovers of our International Union in Cracow between July 24th and 31st, 2016. Save the date!
To the Guides and Scouts of Europe
Gathered in Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois
On the occasion of their ten-year meeting
From August 1st to 10th 2014
Dear friends,
I am glad to greet you, while you are gathered for the Eurojam, in France this year, in order to renew the links that unite you to God, to the others and to whole creation. Continue reading
allemand | italien | multilingue | polonais | ukrainien
3 août 2014
Notre vie est un ensemble d’histoires, de souvenirs, de moments et d’événements qui nous font grandir, qui nous forment, qui nous font devenir ce que nous sommes. Avec notre esprit, nous sommes capables de feuilleter les images et les pensées comme dans un album plein de photographies et de films qui immortalisent les moments décisifs de notre vie, ces aventures que nous racontons aux amis, nos histoires personnelles qui font partie de notre patrimoine comme les histoires de famille. Justement, en parcourant l’album de famille, l’une des questions que posent souvent les enfants à leurs parents, celle que j’ai posée aux miens et je suppose vous aux vôtres : « Comment vous êtes-vous connus ? Quand ? Quelle impression t’a-t-il-faite ? Qu’est-ce qui t’attirait en lui ? Comment a continué votre histoire ? » Continue reading
