"Empower children, protect children - in Indonesia and worldwide".
The motto is the carol singers' campaign, which began on Wednesday with a service with Cardinal Marx in the Tölz parish church.
Bad Tölz –
Before the service began, there was a bit of excitement and bustle around the town parish church of Maria Himmelfahrt in Tölz.
Here and there parents dressed up their children as Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar, put capes on them or adjusted crowns they had made themselves on their heads.
At 10.45 a.m. it was time.
A gold-colored BMW sedan drove through the pedestrian zone of Marktstrasse and headed for the church.
Cardinal Marx had come to send out the archdiocese carol singers.
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At the end of the service, the carol singers came in groups to see Cardinal Marx.
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Around Epiphany on January 6, children and young people go from house to house to collect donations.
This year's focus country is Indonesia.
This has a special meaning for Sophia Bahn (16) and her brother Andreas (11).
"The children have cousins who live in Indonesia," explained mother Corinna Bahn.
"You feel even closer to the children who are not doing so well there," emphasized her daughter.
"This year is the fifth year that we are on the road as the Three Kings," said Sophia before the service.
Together with Andreas, their little sister and friend Emelie Melges, they move from house to house in their home town of Sauerlach.
Bad Tölz: Cardinal Richard Marx arrives in a golden limousine
Punctually at 11 a.m., everyone in the church rose to see the Archbishop enter the church, along with some spiritual support - including the city pastor Peter Demmelmair, Dean Thomas Neuberger, diocesan youth pastor Richard Greul, Deacon Oskar Ehehalt and Father Bernardus, who came from Indonesia.
Right at the beginning of the service, Cardinal Marx said a prayer for the seriously ill retired Pope Benedict.
As it became known on Wednesday morning, his health had deteriorated sharply.
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The carol singers: (from left) Benedikt, Leonhard, Jonas, Anna and Simon with deacon Joachim Baumann.
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In his sermon, Marx recalled his own time as a carol singer.
"Sometimes, like in a sci-fi movie, you wish you had a time capsule to travel to the past or future," he philosophized.
"But we can also do it with the help of our memory and our imagination."
Cardinal Marx advocates more patience with changes in the Church
He particularly emphasized the importance of children and young people today.
"I often think about how you children will be in 50 years," said Marx.
"What we can all do is pray for a better world, stay with Jesus and be more patient with some things that you want to change." He alluded not least to the situation of the Catholic Church.
“Many are demanding that everything change immediately in the church as well.
But what kind of attitude is that, please?” he asked in the room – which drew a dissatisfied murmur from many a churchgoer.
You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.
Then Marx went into the role of carol singers.
The children and young people now have the task, in addition to the inscription of the blessing "20 C+M+B 23" (Christus mansionem benedicat - Christ bless this house), to bring the people a happy and hopeful message.
"It's about more than just fundraising," he said.
About 200 carol singers at church service in Tölz parish church Maria Himmelfahrt
"Thank you for giving up a lot of free time for this," said Pastor Peter Demmelmair.
Then the cardinal blessed the carol singers in groups.
A few adults also mingled with the groups to get closer to the cardinal.
In general, the service was rather loosely occupied.
Many places remained empty.
Marx sent out about 200 carol singers.
This also includes Leonhard Geisberger from Reichersbeuern.
"I'm a caroler for the eighth time this year," he said.
"Mostly I was Kaspar, but we also take turns." For the twelve-year-old, helping other children is the priority.
"But it is also something special to experience the cardinal today."
After the 75-minute service, the carol singers went with the clergy and the Tölz mayor Ingo Mehner and his deputy Michael Lindmair to eat and an afternoon of music and games in the Franzmühle rectory.
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