Reconciliation work of a murdered Swiss: Taizé movement turns 75
Published: Sunday, Apr 14th 2024, 13:50
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It is the great work of the Swiss Roger Schutz: the Christian Taizé movement. The ecumenical community celebrates its 75th anniversary on Wednesday. The founder of this work of pampering between Christians and peoples fell victim to an assassination attempt, of all things.
Today, the Taizé community brings together 80 brothers from around 30 countries. It became known above all through the success of its European youth meetings. These have been held at various locations on the continent since 1978. To date, the meetings have attracted a total of around two million young people from various Christian denominations. Switzerland has hosted the event twice: in Geneva in 2007 and in Basel in 2017.
The Taizé Community was founded in 1944 in the village of the same name in Burgundy, between Lyon and Dijon. On Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949, the first seven brothers, who were of Protestant origin, took their vows and committed themselves to a life of celibacy, community and simplicity. Catholics quickly joined the movement.
Woman stabs order founder to death
For a long time, the Taizé community was led by its founder, the Protestant pastor and theologian Roger Schutz from Vaud. But his end came suddenly and brutally: on August 16, 2005, a mentally ill woman stabbed the 90-year-old to death during the evening service in the Taizé Church of Reconciliation.
At the time, some suspected that the community would lose its dynamism with the death of the undisputed spiritual father. But the brothers in their light-colored robes continued the work.
The German Catholic Alois Löser was his successor for 18 years. In December last year, Brother Alois handed over his office as prior to Brother Matthew (whose real name is Andrew Thorpe). The Briton belongs to the Anglican denomination. This means that the community has had three priors from three different denominations in its history.
Even today, young people continue to flock to Taizé and to the European meetings, which take place in a different city every year around New Year's Eve. They had an astonishing experience, as Prior Alois once said: "That the death of Brother Roger, as cruel as it was, brought us even closer together in our community, among us brothers."
Community supports the disadvantaged
Most of the brothers live in Taizé itself. About a quarter of them live in small communities in Asia, Africa and South America and share their daily lives with the disadvantaged, street children and outsiders.
In Taizé, the brothers of the community, together with sisters from other communities and with the support of volunteers, welcome young people throughout the year. Prayer, searching for meaning and Bible reading are part of the program, which is observed in silence.
©Keystone/SDA
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