Fr. Roger of Taize Community Murdered during Divine Service

On 16 August 2005, prior of the Taize community Fr. Roger Schutz, 90, a renowned Christian preacher and religious leader, died tragically by the hand of an assassin before the eyes of 2500 thousand believers during evening service.

Rev. Schutz, known throughout the world as Fr. Roger, had dedicated his life to the revival of Christian unity. He was among those who began interchristian dialogue in the post-war Europe. He had done a lot for the Orthodox witness to be heard without any constraint in the Protestant and Catholic milieu.

The French community of Taize was founded in Burgundy in 1940. It unites representatives of different Christian confessions, mostly Catholics and Protestants. During World War II the community was a refuge for many people who fled from the persecutions of the nazi regime. Members of the community bring their vows to share material burden and spiritual goods, to live a simple life in celibacy.

The Taize community today is a major centre of pilgrimage of Christian youth from more than 24 countries. They are united by Christian tradition, adherence to common spiritual and moral values and firmness in their religious choice before the secular world.

Every year the Taize community organizes meetings for thousands of young European Christians, always taking part in which are representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches.

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, expressed their profound condolences with the tragic death of a most well known and respected leaders of the Christian world.