Dear brothers and sisters,
I cordially greet all of you on the occasion of the 101th Katholikentag taking place in
Münster, and I am glad so many of you have come. Your participation is a clear sign
of how much you care about the motto of this Katholikentag, “Search for peace”.
This word is taken from Psalm 34: “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and
pursue it”. It is an imperative and extremely urgent request for help. Today there is
no more important topic in the public debate on religion than the problem of
fanaticism and propensity to violence. We observe it in the family sphere, in the
workplace, in associations, in our neighbourhoods, in regions and in nations:
wherever man as such is not considered a gift from God there is disagreement,
resentment and hatred. I am deeply concerned about people, especially children and
young people, who are forced to flee because of war and violence in their country, to
save their lives. They knock on our doors asking for help and hospitality. In their eyes
we see the nostalgia for peace.
[…]
