Mecklenburg-West Pomerania: Gauck visits the European Taizé youth meeting in Rostock

Rostock (dpa/mv) - Former Federal President Joachim Gauck is expected on Friday at the 45th European Youth Meeting of the Christian-ecumenical Taizé Community in Rostock.

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania: Gauck visits the European Taizé youth meeting in Rostock

Rostock (dpa/mv) - Former Federal President Joachim Gauck is expected on Friday at the 45th European Youth Meeting of the Christian-ecumenical Taizé Community in Rostock. The former Evangelical-Lutheran pastor wants to take part in the midday prayer (1 p.m.) with the young people there. The Taizé community also wants to announce on Friday in which country the next youth meeting will take place.

Around 4,000 young adults from 49 countries traveled to the meeting, which lasted until Sunday. There are also 1000 day visitors. The participants also took in the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. up in her prayers. According to the Vatican, the 95-year-old is seriously ill.

The Swiss Roger Schutz founded the community in Taizé in eastern France during World War II. Brother Roger was stabbed to death by a mentally ill woman in 2005. His successor as Prior of the community, which includes 90 brothers from more than 30 nations, is Brother Alois Löser, who was born in Nördlingen and grew up in Stuttgart. The Taizé community is known for its catchy songs, which have been translated into many languages.