ABSTRACT
On invitation of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer, for the first time during His visit to Austria, Pope Bendedict XVI. is going to meet with members of volunteer services, who work in Church and secular organizations offering their service and help to everyone. Among the organizations invited are the parish caritas, various Emergency Medical Services, the voluntary refugee relief organizations, the auxiliary fire brigade - the help of neighbor was the main criteria, not just voluntariness or the organization's close connection to the Catholic Church. The festive meeting in the Vienna Konzerthaus, which is an expression of the thankfulness of the Pope, the Austrian Catholic Church, and the Republic of Austria is characterized by the motto "Sunday Culture:" shared spare time is the necessary prerequisite for helping one's neighbor and enjoying Sunday together. According to Christian faith, helpfulness and dedication to others are the criteria which are crucial for the success of our life before God. God identifies Himself with all people in need of help and affection through Christ. Thus, caritas, active love of neighbor, is a pillar of Christian existence. Many people help selflessly without any personal involvement in the Christian faith. From a Christian point of view, this is a chance to unconsciously have an encounter with God - this helps to overcome boundaries of denomination and cultural backgrounds. Voluntary work which is free of charge is a mainstay of our civil society. Three pieces of music are going to emphasize the festive character of the meeting. The Vienna Boys Choir is going to sing Anton Bruckner's "Tota Pulchra Es Maria" by Herbert Tachezi. So, the musical arrangement is going to be a gift to the Holy Father at the end of His visit to Austria, whose love for music, especially for Mozart, is widely known.
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The stations of the Papal visit in Vienna on September 9 have the motto "Sunday Culture" in common: Sunday morning service and the meeting in the Konzerthaus - shared spare time is the necessary prerequisite for helping one's neighbor and enjoying Sunday together.
For the first time during His visit to Austria, Pope Bendedict XVI. is going to meet with members of volunteer services, who work in church and secular organizations offering their service and help to everyone. Before the departure of the Holy Father, a ceremony is going to take place at 17.30 in the Vienna Konzerthaus to express the thankfulness and appreciation of the Pope, the Austrian Church and the Austrian Republic, and give all participants a Sunday pleasure.
In His encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" ("God is Love"), Pope Benedict XVI. elaborates on all aspects of love and love's direction towards God, which is the only real fulfilling love. Additionally, Pope Benedict XVI. stresses the importance of active love which is devoted to others and constitutes the basic attitude and experience of Christian faith. Referring to this, Pope Benedict XVI. points at the countless volunteers who large-heartedly offer their time and energy for those who are in need for support.
According to Christian faith, helpfulness and dedication to others are the criteria which are crucial for the success of our life before God. God identifies Himself with all people in need of help and affection through Christ. Thus, caritas, active love of neighbor, is a pillar of Christian existence.
Many people help selflessly without any personal involvement in the Christian faith. From a Christian point of view, this is a chance to unconsciously have an encounter with God - this helps to overcome boundaries of denominational and cultural backgrounds.
Voluntary work which is free of charge is a mainstay of our civil society. Dr. Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, the Head of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, and Dr. Heinz Fischer, the Federal President of the Republic of Austria, invited members of voluntary organizations from all of Austria to a meeting with the Holy Father. The aim of this meeting is not to only honor high functionaries but to meet those who are "working in the field."
Among the organizations invited are the parish caritas, various Emergency Medical Services, the voluntary refugee relief organizations, the auxiliary fire brigade - the help of neighbor was the main criteria, not just voluntariness or the organization's close connection to the Catholic Church. Two teenagers are going to welcome Pope Benedict XVI. in the name of all people invited. Archbishop Dr. Alois Kothgasser and President Dr. Heinz Fischer are going to point out the importance of voluntary services from the perspectives of church and state. Of course, the address of the Holy Father is going to take center stage.
Three pieces of music are going to emphasize the festive character of the meeting. The "Wiener Concert-Verein" (soloists of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra) are going to play the Divertimento for string orchestras, KV 136, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the "Tu Virginum Corona," an Alleluia for soprano and orchestra from Mozart's Motette "Exultate Jubilate", KV 165, sung by soprano Cornelia Horak, is going to round off the meeting. The Vienna Boys Choir is going to sing Anton Bruckner's "Tota Pulchra Es Maria" by Herbert Tachezi. Mozart and Bruckner are a part of the Austrian heritage which Austrians are particularly proud of. Pope Benedict XVI. cherishes those two composers who appeal to and deeply move many people.
The festive meeting of the Holy Father and the volunteers has gift-character in two ways: first, the gratitude to those many men and women who voluntarily work for people in need and who offer their services even on Sundays for the benefit of the community. At the same time, the festive atmosphere and the musical arrangement are going to be a gift to the Holy Father at the end of His visit to Austria, whose love for music, especially for Mozart, is widely known. The Vienna Konzerthaus, which occupies an important role in the Austrian musical tradition, provides a festive location for 1.800 invited guests. And its architecture guarantees that the Holy Father is visible and approachable.
The Vienna Konzerthaus
Vienna's reputation as leading metropolis in terms of music is based on the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Musikverein and the Vienna Konzerthaus. The Vienna Konzerthaus is one of the most modern and at the same time most traditional concert halls in the world. The concert hall is situated at the Heumarkt and consists of 600 rooms. At its heart, one can find the Great Hall, the so-called "Große Saal," which provides space for 1.800 visitors. On September 9, the meeting of Benedict XVI. with the volunteers working for charitable social organizations will take place in the "Great Hall."
The unique atmosphere of the Konzerthaus has been attracting music artists for more than 100 years. Additionally, the Konzerthaus sets the stage for a large number of societal events, such festive balls, congresses, and conferences.
In 1913, the Konzerthaus was opened after a two-year construction period and was one of the most modern buildings in the Austrian Monarchy. In terms of architecture, the building is a rarity. Elements of the late Historicism, Secessionism, and Art Nouveau were combined. The Konzerthaus was planned and built by the famous theater architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Gottlieb Helmer in cooperation with Ludwig Baumann. The Konzerthaus set new standards in terms of architecture, visitor-friendliness, construction and the interior. The three main rooms (Great Hall, Mozart Hall and Schubert Hall) can be used at the same time without one concert interfering with the other.
Richard Strauss composed his "Festliches Präludium op.61" for the opening of the Konzerthaus with Emperor Franz Joseph I. After the performance of Strauss' Präludium, the audience enjoyed Ludvig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The Musical program at the opening ceremony, the combination of a contemporary work and a master piece from the past, was exemplary: awareness of tradition and innovative spirit have been the musical mainstay of the Konzerthaus. Old Music, Jazz, and Modern Music are among the content priorities. The whole building was renovated from 1998 to 2001. In the course of the renovation, the historic structure was restored, the building was equipped with modern technology, and a fourth concert hall, the "New Hall," was built.
Dr. Franz Xaver Brandmayr
Chaplain and Judge at the Diocesan Court of the Archdiocese Vienna
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