THE THEMATIC FRAMEWORK

The theme for the 104th German Catholic Day, which will take place from May 13 to 17, 2026, in Würzburg, has been set:
"Have courage, stand up!"

"The Catholic Day aims to encourage people with the call taken from the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:49) to follow their faith," says Dr. Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the ZdK and Chair of the Catholic Day Organizing Committee. "Life is in constant motion. Trusting in opportunities for change is what really matters." The blind Bartimaeus is an example of this. "In his encounter with Jesus, his eyes are opened." It is of central importance that those around him say: "Take courage, stand up! He is calling you!" "Thus, what he longs for happens. What a message! For me, it holds an encouraging message and a call to the Church of today: Become a community of encouragement!"

The ZdK President also points to the socio-political situation that the Catholic Day will address: "As organizers, it is our concern to encourage many people to defend human dignity. We stand against hate and incitement that threaten to poison the atmosphere in our country. It is a Christian stance when we say: Not with us!"

Dr. Franz Jung, Bishop of Würzburg, is convinced: "As Christians, we live in the midst of society, which we help shape with our joyful and liberating faith. We need courage to face the challenges of our time in society and the Church and to be witnesses of our Christian hope. Every day we seek allies with whom we can stand up for a life in abundance and a human-friendly society. We do not want people to be left on the margins." Jesus Christ went to the margins, emphasizes the bishop. Following him means overcoming boundaries in thinking and acting today, looking at the person in their situation, and changing it for the better. "The theme of the 104th German Catholic Day wants to convey exactly this message."

He hopes, "that as many people as possible from all over Germany, as well as from other countries, will come to Würzburg," says the bishop. "The hospitality of our city, our communities, our associations, and councils will make this Catholic Day a memorable experience. We are very much looking forward to May 2026 and all the encounters!"

Neymeyr went on to explain, "Psalm 37 knows the suspicion that can affect every human being and shatter every hope: that selfishness, violence and injustice seem to have the upper hand. The psalm knows the experience that the righteous and the innocent often lose out." That is precisely why the motto excites him: "This verse of the psalm almost provokes us to think about whether peace really opens up a path to the future. This is what we want to face at the Katholikentag in Erfurt. Psalm 37 recommends trust in God, patience - and doing good."

"The psalm verse offers numerous possibilities to inspire the program of Erfurt," the Secretary General of the ZdK, Marc Frings, gives a first indication of the events that are now being creatively planned. "These undoubtedly include the debate on the peacemaking power of church reforms after the Synodal Path in Germany and during the World Synod in Rome. But above all, the Katholikentag will have to conduct a major social debate on the topic of peace and develop responses from Catholic civil society that create common ground - far beyond the realm of the Catholic," Frings said. "This matters a lot to us, especially in Erfurt, where Christians* are in the minority. We are making a Katholikentag for everyone. We deliberately want to do this - together with the host diocese. We are very much looking forward to working together."