Schoenstatt Prepares To Welcome Pope Benedict XVI Home

(February 17, 2011) The Schoenstatt Movement is preparing for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to his home country of Germany in September with a campaign to show support for the Pope. Members are organizing a crusade of love and support of the Pontiff called "Postcard Action," gathering prayers for the upcoming event. Some 30,000 postcards have already been distributed for the campaign, which the faithful are encouraged to send to the Pope with their personal messages. Another 20,000 cards have been printed for distribution. The main objective is to be "totally open to the Pope and to the message he wants to bring us," said Father Michael Marmann, who belongs to the circle of former students of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, during the official launching of this initiative. According to one organizer, the initiative is an attempt to reach "many people and to create in the whole of Germany an optimum climate for the visit." The member noted that "the proposal invites people to send a postcard to the Pope welcoming him and commenting on the preparations to receive him with an open heart and love of God." The movement members acknowledged that although they do not know if Pope Benedict XVI will read all the postcards, it is certain that he will perceive a joyful welcome on the part of the Germans. The movement which had its official launching on February the second plans to publish documentation with photos and examples of the postcards sent, which will be given to the Pope during his visit. Families of the 26 German dioceses wrote the first postcards and sent them to the Vatican with testimonies and photos.