Thousands of German Catholics – the laity rather than the clergy – are gathering on Wednesday for a national festival of faith that will start more like a peace rally in light of the war in Ukraine. The Catholic Convention in Stuttgart lasts five days and will be addressed by political leaders including Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is set to speak at the opening ceremony on Wednesday evening. The opening will be followed by a street festival in the centre of the south-western city. The €10-million ($10.6-million) festival comes as the Church in Germany tack…