Katholikentag

Catholics days are multi-day meetings of the Catholic faithful of the country in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which take place in a multi- annual basis ( in Germany usually every two years). Its origins lie in the association Catholicism and the lay movements of the 19th century.

In Germany there is the Catholic since 1848, in Austria since 1877 and in Switzerland since 1903.

German Catholic

Historical Development

The first German Catholic Congress was held from October 3 to 6 October 1848 in Mainz as " General of the Catholic Association of Germany" instead, inspired by the demonstration of faith in 1844, when a million pilgrims to the exhibition of the Holy Rocks in Trier from all over Germany were enthusiastic about the bourgeois- democratic revolution in Germany in March 1848 and as a counter-reaction to oppression of the Catholic population by the Protestant governments since the Congress of Vienna from 1814 to 1815 which will culminate in the Kulturkampf later. At that time the Catholic was a pure delegates meeting to the 87 club delegates and approximately another 100 clergy and lay participants came. From then on there was almost every year a Catholic in 1849 were even two organized in a year. The biggest interruptions were 1914-1920 and 1933-1947, in which no Catholics days were held.

A clear cut meant the 82nd German Catholic Congress in Essen in 1968: It was under the theme " In the midst of this world" - and for the first time here rose, following on the revolutionary beginnings of the Church Council and under the impression of the '68 movement, open opposition to the official church.

In recent decades, the Catholic has developed into a major event organized by lay people - in the style of a congress, connected with public events and meeting actions. Many church groups are there on exhibition stands before and triplets. During the five-day event usually numerous religious, cultural, scientific, social, political and spiritual events. The institution of the Catholic Day since 1970, the Central Committee of German Catholics ( ZdK ).

In 1992, in Karlsruhe, the first Catholic place after the German reunification.

The 95th German Catholic was held from 16 to 20 June 2004 on the theme: "Life of God's power " in Ulm place to which were daily 25000-50000 believers, including many celebrities from politics, society and economy, has come. The 96th Catholic in Saarbrücken was held under the motto "Justice in the face of God " instead. About 40,000 people attended. The 97th German Catholic Day took place in May 2008 in Osnabrück with 60,000 participants. He stood at the Good Friday prayer for the Jews in the tension between Judaism and the Roman Catholic Church. The 98th German Catholic was held in May 2012 in Mannheim under the motto " dare a new departure " and were attended by 80,000 people ( including 33,000 permanent participants) attended.

On November 19, 2011, the Central Committee of German Catholics ( ZdK ) decided in its fall General Assembly in Bad Godesberg, that the 99th Catholic will take place in 2014 in Regensburg ( May 28-June 1 ). He will be under the theme " Building with Christ bridges".

The Protestant counterpart to the Catholic German is the German Protestant Church, which is always held as the Catholic in another year. Another major event is the Church's Ecumenical Church, in 2003 in Berlin and then in 2010 took place the first time in Munich. Organizers of these events are common to the Central Committee of German Catholics and the German Protestant Church.

Central elements

The five-day event follows long been a solid rhythm. They are held from Wednesday to Sunday, usually on Corpus Christi or the Ascension. A central opening rally on Friday evening and a great general closing service on Sunday morning frame the event, on Thursday more central services are held. During the Catholics tags in Osnabrück in 2008 for the first time was also a central ecumenical service on Friday evening on the program (instead of the usual Katholikentag main rally ).

From Thursday afternoon until Saturday evening, there is general Katholikentag operation: Representatives from the church, politics and science exchange ideas in panel discussions on current social, religious, cultural and political issues; next to make a wide variety of church organizations and groups workshops and hands-on activities. In recent years, a differentiation into different, spatially separated regions has be increasingly revealed the "centers". Depending on your personal situation and interests meet at the family center, in the women 's and men's center ( gender issues ), the youth center ( in Osnabrück for the first time with its own youth church ), in the spiritual center, in the one-world - center, in the ecumenical center or in the centers christian-Jewish and christian-Muslim dialogue.

Another fixed base since the 1990s, the " church street", on the Catholic and other associations, institutions, media, religious communities, dioceses, relief organizations present themselves among others stalls. A special feature is the width of the ecclesiastical and ideological orientations, which otherwise can be found in almost any religious event in Germany: Conservative groups like the Legion of Mary are just as naturally represented as critical organizations such as the Ecumenical Working Group on homosexuals and the church.

On the first evening " evening meeting " at which the host diocese presents with its regional specialties and culinary specialties on stages and stalls; : Furthermore, other public events have been established as part of the Catholic Day in recent years on Friday evening, a one-world rock concert BDKJ and Misereor; partly an evening of intercultural encounter (Hamburg, Osnabrück ), the program is designed by the local foreign cultural associations.

The 77th German Catholic Day in Cologne, September 1956

Katholikentag flagging at the cathedral in Osnabrück, site of the 97th German Catholics Day 2008

Ecumenical service in the youth church in Osnabrück

Peace Stele: participatory action at the Church mile in Osnabrück

Bible reading on the hare in the context of the Osnabrück Katholikentag

The backpack, symbol of the 98 Catholic Day 2012 in Mannheim

Katholikentag flagging at the Mannheim Jesuit Church

Stamps

Stamp of the German Federal Post Office Berlin ( 1958) 78 German Catholic Congress in Berlin

Stamp of the German Post Office (1962 ) 79 German Catholic Congress in Hannover

Stamp of the German Post Office (1964 ) 80th German Catholic Day in Stuttgart

Stamp of the German Post Office (1966 ) 81 German Catholic Day in Bamberg

Stamp of the German Post Office (1968 ) 82 German Catholic Congress in Essen

Stamp of the German Post Office (1970 ) 83 German Catholic Congress in Trier

Stamp of the German Post Office (1978 ) 85th German Catholic in Freiburg

Stamp of the German Federal Post Office Berlin ( 1990) 90 German Catholic Congress in Berlin

150 years German Catholics Day: German stamp from 1998

Swiss Catholic

The first Catholic in Switzerland took place from 27 to 29 September 1903 in Lucerne. In the subsequent period of ten days Catholics were held at irregular intervals, mostly in Catholic -dominated places. The latest up to Catholic took place in 1954.

Austrian Catholic

Since 1877, Austrian Catholics days are held. However, in Austrian cities already existed before Catholics days ( 1850 and 1856 in Linz on the Danube, 1853 in Vienna, 1857 in Salzburg and Innsbruck in 1867 ), but which are counted among the German Catholics days.

Central European Catholic

At the conclusion of the Central European Catholic Day with the theme " Christ - Hope of Europe " in the framework at the " pilgrimage of the nations " ( 21 to 23 May 2004) in Mariazell came nearly 80,000 pilgrims from the eight participating countries, namely Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia - Herzegovina and Austria. The highlight was on Saturday from 11:00 clock the two-hour celebration of the Eucharist on the field of sport airfield in St. Sebastian with the theme " What he says to you, do ." At the end of the celebrations, which took place under the direction of Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano on behalf of Pope John Paul II, was a "message of Mariazell " adopted.