European bishops take part in pilgrimage for environmental protection

September 16, 2010

The Council of European Bishops’ Conferences organized a pilgrimage from September 1-5 for the intention of the protection of creation. Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdo celebrated the opening Mass at his cathedral in Esztergom, and Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn concluded the pilgrimage with Mass at Mariazell, central Europe’s principal Marian shrine.

The pilgrimage included reflections on themes from Pope Benedict’s World Day of Peace message and his encyclical Caritas in Veritate.

“A core message coming from this pilgrimage event is that the goodness, beauty and fruitfulness of creation was the first vocation of man and given to him on trust,” participants stated in their concluding message. “Just as we began our ecological pilgrimage at the heart of Europe in the beautiful Basilica of the Assumption in Esztergom and ended it at the Shrine of the Birth of Mary at Mariazell, so we continue to carry on our earthly pilgrimage the eschatological hope of the Church that ‘where she has gone’ all creation will follow.”

 

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Further information:

• Pilgrimage Budapest – Mariazell (CCEE)
• Final message
• Pope Benedict: Message for the World Day of Peace 2010