Hope in the Archdiocese of Hamburg: Bishop's letter awakens confidence!

Hope in the Archdiocese of Hamburg: Bishop's letter awakens confidence!

at a time when uncertainties and fears are common in many places, Archbishop Dr. Stefan Heße today an open letter to around 260,000 households in the Archdiocese of Hamburg. In it he addresses the social, political and economic challenges that lie ahead. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza in particular lead to worries and fears among the population. The archbishop emphasizes how important it is to find hope and confidence in these times of crisis. This happens not only through words, but also through rituals and the silence in sacred places, such as churches, where people can stop briefly and order their thoughts.

A central proposal is the digital campaign "Holy Places", which enables people to enter places that give them strength and hope. This information collected should flow together in an interactive map of healing locations in northern Germany. A video that speaks about his own sacred places can also be found on the archbishopric's website. The campaign is part of the pastoral engagement of the archbishopric, which is not only open to the Catholics, but also for all people in the region. Heße turns into a letter to the believers about two to three times a year.

hope and community in the pilgrim year 2025

In the context of this message of hope, the coming Holy Year 2025 is particularly important. This year the motto is "pilgrim of hope" and invites you to reflect and for a joint exchange. The waves that can be seen in the logo symbolize the challenges of life and the pilgrimage path that people go together. The lower part of the cross is presented as an anchor that acts against the waves of worries. Here the anchor stands for hope - a metaphor that is also known as seafarers.

The topics of the pilgrim year make it clear that personal fates and global events require attentive use of hope. The Church sees itself as a place where biblical stories, songs and the proclamation of a god who donates hope are the focus. In these difficult times it is essential that the church gives people a feeling of security and perspective.

hope as a spiritual force