Journals of Brother Roger of Taiz�, Volume I

I knew Brother Roger personally for a long time, and I had a relationship of warm friendship with him. He had often visited me, and, as I said in Rome, the day of his death I had received a letter from him that went directly to my heart. . . . I think that we should listen to him, listen from within to the ecumenism that he lived out spiritually, and allow ourselves to he led by his witness towards an ecumenism that is truly inward and spiritual. --Pope Benedict XVI Very few people in a generation manage to change the whole climate of a religious culture; but Brother Roger did just this. . . . He changed the image of Christianity itself for countless young people. . . . His authority was authentically monastic--the authority of a father and elder brother in God who drew his vision from patient waiting on the Lord in prayer, and from the work and study and discernment of a committed community. --Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury The vision of peace and reconciliation in 'God's today' which guided Brother Roger's commitment and that of the community he founded has been a source of inspiration and spiritual renewal for generations of young people, in Europe and throughout the world. Under his spiritual leadership, the Taize Community has offered a model of how the praise of God is integrally linked to solidarity with the least fortunate. For many of us, Brother Roger incarnated the hope that the Christian faith can bring to the world. --Genevieve Jacques, former Secretary General, World Council of Churches, Switzerland Brother Roger was known throughout the whole world. Man of inspired words, man of prayer, zealous worker in the fields of Christ--his untiring search to establish relationships of peace and love among Christians and his commitment to transmitting the Christian ideal to the youth of Europe earned him universal respect. --Alexy II (1929-2008), first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in the post-Soviet period When I came in mission to Estonia after the terrible years of communism, I understood what Brother Roger meant by the 'power of the provisional, ' which leaves all the room to God and God alone. I shall ever be grateful to him for that. . . . He was called Roger and his name, everywhere it was pronounced, sang the consoling tenderness and freshness of God for all who were in pain and suffering. --Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallin, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Estonia Brother Roger came twice to Dresden for a prayer with young people and he stayed at my home. The Kreuzkirche was filled to overflowing, and other churches too. It was a profound moment of hope for many young people, right in the midst of the era of the German Democratic Republic. His spiritual openness to the will of God and God's commandments also remains unforgettable. . . . What a life in the footsteps of Christ! --Johannes Hempel (1929-2020), Lutheran Bishop of Dresden during the time of Communism Brother Roger was a good friend and brother to our Mother, Mother Teresa; to our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II; to the young; and to all regardless of religion, race, nationality, or social status. He has left behind thousands of friends on earth and will surely be welcomed by a host of friends in heaven. --Sister M. Nirmala (1924-2015), successor to Mother Teresa as Superior General, Missionaries of Charity, Kolkata, India For me, Brother Roger was one of the spiritual pillars of Europe in its movement towards unity. --Vaclav Havel (1936-2011), former President of the Czech Republic Following the finest traditions of the faith that sustained him, Brother Roger consecrated his life to the service of peace, dialogue, and reconciliation. He became the untiring advocate of the values of respect, of tolerance, and of solidarity, in particular toward the young. His message of hope and of trust will remain a source of inspiration for all. --Kofi Annan (1938-2018), former Secretary Gene