"We will be louder than the girls"

What it means to be a man

Juventud de la Mater

Youth of the MTA

IHRE Jugend

Foto: Norbert Jung/esprit-photo.com © 2005

Los moderatores animan a gritar The two moderators open the „battle cry training camp“ Die zwei Moderatoren eröffnen das „Schreitraining“.
Presentación de la delegación de Portugal Presentation of the delegaron from Portugal Die portugiesische Delegation stellt sich vor.
Lleguen todos con sus banderas y sus símbolos All are arriving with their flags and symbols Sie kommen mit ihren Fahnen und Symbolen.
Paraguay saluda Hello Paraguay! Aufgefädelt.
La bandera mas grande es de la Mater The biggest flag – HER flag Die größte Fahne gehört der Gottesmutter. Fotos: Kanya © 2005
Participaron unos 800 personas Some 800 persons participated Etwa 800 Personen nahmen teil Fotos: Norbert Jung/esprit-photo.com © 2005

WYD-SCHOENSTATT, eka. Is it true that men are irresponsible, tough, with only sexual thoughts? How should men be, how are they allowed to be? Those are many difficult questions that modern society poses unto masculinity. Therefore the meeting of the international Schoenstatt Boys Youth was themed "As a man, to be a Christian for a civilization of love".

"Ok guys, in order to make sure that at the next mass the girls won’t sream louder than we do, we will rehearse now", explained the moderators. And really – after some trials it works: "I really can’t imagine the girls are louder!", states one moderator. With that, survival and the possibility to be heard is secured again and the main program starts.

"Who does not speak Spanish?"

Javier Rodríguez from Santiago de Chile stayed in Milwaukee for one year and worked as a missionary for "Operation Mario". Before he begins to tell of his experiences, the seating arrangements in the audience are being changed a little: "Who does not speak Spanish? Please raise your hands.... Can some Spanish people now go to the people who do not speak Spanish and translate what Javier will tell us? We want to make sure that everybody really understands it."

"’Operation Mario’ was a chance for me to get to know Mario Hiriat and his life. I tried to imitate him in certain things. I started to write a diary, for example", tells Javier Rodríguez. "Mario Hiriat is an example for many young people. His life tells us to not give up, even if the light at the end of the tunnel is very far away."

Typically masculine?

Men prefer to avoid responsibility, is a common quote. This is supposedly "typical men!". "We can’t really agree with this judgement, can we?", asks Fr. Stefan Strecker in his talk to hunderts of young men of the Schoenstatt Boys Youth. "Let us take up the challenge. Let us think about responsibility in relation to us men."

Father Kentenich thought of the Chilean Brother of Mary Mario Hiriat as an example of a responsible man. "He characterises Mario Hiriat as clear thinking, task orientated and self-disciplined", says Fr. Stefan Strecker. How can we bring this responsibility in our everydays life, in which situations do we need the masculine responsibility?

Fr. Stefan Strecker tells an example: "Fascination with the media. That’s typical for men! We’ve got mp3-players. We meet each other for computer game-parties. We rejoice in the latest computer games. We spend hours in the internet. A lot of us respond with total fascination. Using these possibilities positively, we deal with this fascination in a responsible way. An important part of this responsibility is to always consciously leave the virtual reality again."

Instructions for responsibility

Responsibility means, to not only give answers to the questions life puts to us, but also to give mature (masculine) answers, to respond in a responsible way. Fr. Stefan Strecker continues: "There is quite a difference between response and responsibility. It is the way of our self-education. The dream of Father Kentenich is that men will decide to go this way. To educate themselves to become firm, free and christian personalities – that’s his idea of a responsible human being."

The Schoenstatt Boys Youth offers a community where the young men educate themselves with the help of the Blessed Mother and where they learn to be responsible for themselves. "We are convinced that every man should look for mature responses. Our societies are searching for answers everywhere. The people demand them, especially in the chaos of our times. Unfortunately, many of the people right and left of us are satisfied with terribly simple answers", says Fr. Stefan Strecker.

"As a man, to be a Christian for a civilisation of love" was the motto of this meeting. "Love is the only language of our faith", says Martin Knauft from the former German Democratic Republic in his statement. He who believes takes responsibility – for this "civilisation of love".

"The judgement, that it is typical for men to avoid responsibility, is not true for us!", concludes Fr. Strecker. "Let us show the word we are different. We can do it, because we are men!"

"This morning brought up many new questions, but also answers", describes 24-year-old Georg Zimmerer from Munich, leader of the Schoenstatt Boys Youth in the Archdiocesis of Freiburg. "For me, taking responsibility means, to play a part in society with your own ideas. It means, not to be indifferent, but to be called."

Frank Eisenbarth, 22 years old from Eichsfeld, Germany says: "These talks and workshops are very important to me. I could live of the experiences of the last World Youth Day for three years."

Translation: Anne-Kathrin Gleske