[HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL Peace Tours of Man-hee Lee (3-2): Meeting between Chairman Man-hee Lee and Abbot Columban Luser, “Unprecedented Access into the Monastery”

Chairman Man-hee Lee is engaged in in-depth discussion on the monastery and the Bible with Abbot Columban Luser OSB in the drawing room of Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey) in Austria on May 14th, 2012

On May 14th, 2012, the penultimate day of their peace tour, Chairman Man-hee Lee and his peace delegation visited Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey) in Austria. The visit to Stift Göttweig, which concluded an intense schedule, was sufficient for gaining an understanding of the past religious climate in Europe where the gospel had been preached. This is because the Abbey, which dates back to the Middle Ages when the evangelical movement was most active, has maintained its medieval character.

Posing Baroque architecture, Stift Göttweig boasts in splendor and blends in with the beautiful, scenic hills of Wachau Valley located 449 metres above sea level. The inside of the Abbey was the meeting point for Chairman Lee and Abbot Columban Luser OSB. When Chairman Lee and his delegation arrived at the Abbey, they were informed by monastic officials that they were being granted "unprecedented access into the inside of the monastery and rare introduction of the Abbot to the press". The visit by Chairman Lee and his peace delegation is expected to be recorded in the annals of the monastery. This is because the delegation was granted entry into the chapel, likened to the 'sanctuary' of the Old Testament and the 'Most Holy Place' that only the priests of that era could enter.

An interior view of the chapel with altar in Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey)

The delegation was also granted access to a library that boasts a history spanning over 100 years. It is said that up until then, no woman had been permitted access into the library. But on that day, it was no holds barred. The library, which resembles a museum, contains numerous rare books which, according to a library official, are still used by monks to this day.

During a brief meeting with Abbot Luser, Chairman Lee introduced himself in detail and explained the purpose of his visit to Europe. Chairman Lee emphasized, “God and His Word (Bible) are the standard for what is right and what is not". Chairman Lee added, “Since I have received and eaten (taken in) God's book, which is the Bible, it cannot be taken away from me; and because it contains the very words of God, I, and us all, can become the embodiment of a walking Bible.”

Furthermore, Chairman Lee said, “There was only one place of fulfilment at the first coming of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus will fulfil the New Testament in one place when he returns at his second coming. The promise of the New Testament must be fulfilled in one location and needs to be made known to people who accept the gospel." Meanwhile, Wachau, where Göttweig Abbey is located, is a medieval village designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

A view of Stift Göttweig (Göttweig Abbey) positioned on the hills of Wachau Valley, 449m above sea level

Peace!