Vatican Radio: Pope Francis on Tuesday evening was scheduled to meet more than 50,000 German altar servers, ranging in age from 14 to 22 years, in St. Peter’s Square. The young people are on their annual pilgrimage to Rome, which this year has a motto taken from a verse from Matthew 12:12: "Freedom! Because it is lawful to do good."
One of the bishops accompanying the pilgrimage is Bishop Michael Gerber, Auxiliary Bishop of Freiburg.
“For many of [the pilgrims], this will be an opportunity to deepen their faith, and strengthen their decision to be in the Church, and to serve the Church,” he told Vatican Radio.
He said their experience in Rome will help them understand how the Church is universal, and part of this is their encounter with Pope Francis.
“I believe that Pope Francis will encourage the altar servers in their service for Christ, for the Church, for those who suffer, for young people and for small children,” said Bishop Gerber.
He said altar servers today must have a “profound joy” for service to Christ and the Church, along with being personally involved with what happens at Mass. He also said in Germany, altar servers are often in service for more than a decade.
“They have a sense of responsibility, which increases with age, as they do their service,” he said.
He said this pilgrimage to Rome is a “small step” in the renewal process of the Church in Germany.
“This gathering of so many altar servers coming together in Rome is also, for many of them, a step in deepening their own faith,” Bishop Gerber said. “My hope is that this pilgrimage is not simply a ‘great event,’ but also a ‘big event’ in the hearts of people.”
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