Perspectief 2014-25

Perspectief 14 Communion in Taizé springtime of ecumenism has flowered on the hill of Taize.” 3 The most obvious fruit of this flowering was the given possibility to share Catholic communion. This opportunity was offered by the then Bishop of Autun, mgr. Armand Le Bourgeois. When the first Catholic was to join the community definitely in 1972, brother Roger regarded it impossible not to share table communion with all the members of the community. Therefore, on this occasion, brother Roger and the other brothers for the first time received communion from the hands of the Bishop of Autun. Since the beginning the community had adapted its prayer services and worship services to the changing needs of the community, searching for a good way to celebrate in its ecumenical context. The community chose to follow the way opened up by mgr. Le Bourgeois and to embrace the Catholic Eucharist as their common way of understanding the sacrament and as form of their common worship. In time, Catholic brothers were to be ordained priest by the Bishops of their regions of origin, enabling the community to structurally celebrate mass in Taizé. Today, three priest participate in the community and indeed celebrate mass daily. 2.1.2 Community life today No one expected the community life to evolve to its current form, certainly not brother Roger. However, he adapted a concept he himself referred to as “dynamic of the provisional.” 4 What was meant to be a small community of men trying to reconcile the Christian denominations and to care for the poor has become a large and settled community that welcomes over 100,000 young people from around the world every year. The community certainly has needed its improvising skills to be able to do so. The extension of the original Church of Reconciliation, the church building of the 3 Kasper, Walter, Address at brother Roger’s funeral (Zenit website: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/cardinal-kasper-s-address-at-brother-roger-s-funeral : 24 august 2005) [14 june 2014]. 4 Brother Roger, quoted in Santos, A community called Taizé , 83.