Poster Monastery of Conciliar Church admits to abuse of its authority over young people. More synodality is the convenient answer
"We weren't always a role model"
He is the prior of the well-known ecumenical community of Taizé - Frère Matthew. Now he speaks about learning processes in dealing with authority and about the synodal course of Pope Leo XIV.
The ecumenical community of Taizé takes a self-critical look at its own history. In the July issue of Herder-Correspondenz, Prior Frère Matthew emphasizes that they have not always been a role model - especially in dealing with power and authority towards young people.
Since Brother Alois made cases of abuse public, much has changed. Today, there is a greater effort to cultivate a culture of listening, serving, and mutual freedom. Training for brothers and leaders of youth meetings is now part of everyday life. Brother Roger, the founder of Taizé, always told his confreres that they were not "spiritual masters." But only over time did the awareness of having a certain authority mature.
"How can we use this authority to serve, to listen, and to create a space where the freedom of each individual is respected?" asked the prior, who is a member of the Anglican Church and has been part of the Taize Community since 1986.
Synodality extends beyond the Catholic Church
At the same time, Brother Matthew welcomes Pope Leo XIV's synodal approach. His approach, he says, extends beyond the Catholic Church. It's about making decisions together and shaping directions through dialogue. "When a decision needs to be made, I often only need to confirm what the working group has proposed," he says.
Matthew consults four brothers on important issues – two he nominated himself, two were chosen after consulting the community. "We brothers of Taizé try to listen carefully," Matthew says. But change requires time and patience – that, too, is part of our shared responsibility.
The ecumenical Taizé Community was founded in 1942 by Brother Roger, who led it until his assassination in August 2005. Today, around 80 brothers from various churches live in the Burgundian village as well as in small fraternities in Asia, Africa, Latin America and a suburb of Paris.
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