The Taizé community is an ecumenical monastic order with a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. The 100- strong community of Roman Catholic and Protestant monks is drawn from 30 countries across the world. It was founded in 1940. Today Taizé is one of the world's most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Each year tens of thousands of young pilgrims flock to the small village of Taizé in central France to share in the community's way of life. Prayer and silence are at the heart of the Taizé experience. Young people from every corner of the globe are encouraged to live out the Christian gospel in a spirit of joy, simplicity and reconciliation. Christian unity among Churches is the key to Taizé's appeal, making it a magnet for people of many different cultures and traditions.