Five children from the parish of Votivkirche had visited the Archbishop of Vienna – representing around 14,000 children who will be on the road in the Archdiocese of Vienna alone in the next week and a half to collect for people in need and to carry the blessing into houses and apartments .
Across Austria, around 85,000 children are out and about as the Three Kings. “The message you bring is the message we all need: that you can only live if you help each other and see the need of others,” says Schönborn. “Therefore I wish you: May many hearts open to you for your message and your concerns.”
On his travels he was repeatedly asked about the projects and help of the carol singers, the cardinal reported. “Sometimes it was a school, sometimes a facility for children” – and again and again he reported that this came about through the commitment of thousands of children in Austria. “It touches people’s hearts. Thank you for your service!”
Video: Carol singers started with a visit to Cardinal Schönborn
On the part of the Epiphany campaign of the Catholic youth group, the federal chairman of the youth group, Teresa Millesi, thanked her. The carol singers’ message can no longer be limited to the well-being of people in their own country, “since we are seeing more and more clearly that global problems also require global answers,” said Millesi. The climate crisis is of particular concern to the carol singers, as it poses a threat to the young generation that carries the carol singers’ campaign. “We need effective measures against the climate crisis in order to create a future worth living together.”
Priority country Kenya
Around 500 aid projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America are supported by the donations collected through the carol singers campaign. This year’s focus country is Kenya, where there is a devastating drought as a result of climate change. In the northern regions of Samburu and Marsabit, there has been no rain for a long time, which has resulted in hunger and violent conflicts in addition to the death of the animal herds of the pastoral peoples. The projects sponsored by the carol singers ensure clean water and thus survival, and the local people are given perspectives for the future.
After the opening visit to Cardinal Schönborn, groups of carol singers from all over Austria will visit Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen (December 30), as well as the Presidents of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka (December 28) and Doris Bures (January 3), with Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (January 10) and the ministers Leonore Gewessler (January 10) and Klaudia Tanner (January 5), State Secretary Claudia Plakolm (January 5), the club officers of the governing parties ÖVP and Greens, August Wöginger and Sigrid Maurer (both January 9), as well as other members of the government and members of parliament.
Source: nachrichten
