Cardinal Koch calls for new faith dialogue with Benedict XVI. Forum on

Cardinal Koch calls for new faith dialogue with Benedict XVI. Forum on

On July 3, 2025, something special was going on in the pilgrimage site of Altötting, where many believers traditionally gather: the Swiss Curia Cardinal Kurt Koch opened the “Benedict XVI Forum”. Under the motto “The Sense of the Sacred,” the five-day event will invite people to reflect on their own spirituality and what it means to live in faith. The opening also coincided with the feast day of the Visitation, a symbolic connection that did not go unnoticed.

Cardinal Koch spoke emphatically and called on the assembled faithful to re-attune themselves to the triad of receiving, distributing and praising. “Mary is the archetype of the Church,” he emphasized, and everything that is said about the Church applies primarily to her. A central message of the forum was that Mary, through the conception of Jesus, wanted to receive the Word and immediately share it with others. The cardinal even called Mary's visit to Elizabeth the “first Eucharistic procession in history,” an impressive image of the importance of such encounters in the faith community.

Spiritual impulses and exchange

The participants in the forum can look forward to an intensive exchange with well-known theologians. In addition to Koch, Andreas Wollbold, Ralph Weimann, Prelate Markus Graulich, Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger and Christian Schaller will also be seen on the podium. Their lectures are intended to give participants new ideas about how they can live their faith in everyday life and what role God's blessing plays in human dignity. The Orthodox theologian Stefanos Athanasiou from the New Ratzinger Student Circle is also on site and enriches the discussions.

On Friday, Sister Christine Felder and Father Hermann Geißler will also talk about their personal encounters with Pope Benedict XVI. report. These reports promise to provide a deeper insight into the work of Benedict XVI. to give and inspire the audience. Not to be forgotten is the broadcast of this event by the Catholic media network EWTN, which will distribute the content both on the Internet live stream and via TV program, so that many believers have the opportunity to be there even if they are not there.

Religion in change

The event becomes particularly relevant given today's challenges, such as the dwindling importance of religion in many parts of the world. Studies show that despite an increased search for spirituality in societies such as the United States and South Korea, church use is often declining. According to uni-muenster.de, many people break down their religious ties, especially when they experience political or economic success. The majority of people in Western Europe no longer believe in a personalized God, but often see their spirituality outside of the institutional church.

These developments present the “Benedict XVI Forum” with an important task. It provides a platform to revitalize the religious community and reflect on the role of religion in a changing world. It remains to be seen what impulses will result from the meetings and lectures over the next few days.

On Sunday, July 7th, Cardinal Koch will celebrate a solemn pontifical mass at 10 a.m. to close the forum. This event will also be broadcast live to give other interested parties the opportunity to take part.

For everyone who cannot be present this week, we can only hope that the ideas and insights that arise here will have an impact beyond the borders of Altötting and trigger fruitful discussions.

For more information about the event and its course, interested readers can read the reports on die Tagespost and Vatican News.