SW News: The upcoming International Eucharistic Congress will be an occasion of fraternity and hope, says the president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. Fr Corrado Maggioni said the Congress provides hope, particularly for the Ecuadorian Church, amid the numerous difficulties.
While presenting the Eucharistic Congress said, "The celebration will recall the importance of the mystery of the Eucharist, a sacrament that allows us to see ourselves as children of the Father and therefore brothers and sisters among ourselves." He added that the Congress, which will be held in Ecuador's Quito from September 8 to 15 next year, will awaken spiritual dynamism and help the Catholic Church examine and foster evangelization.
Speaking to Vatican News after the meeting, Fr Maggioni said that the reason for choosing Ecuador as the next point was against the backdrop of the 150th anniversary of the country's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Ecuadorian Bishops' Conference saw this as a chance for the Catholic Church to evaluate, bear witness to, and promote evangelism, both locally and globally.
The Congress's theme is "Fraternidad para sanar el mundo" (Fraternity to Heal the World), evoking Jesus' words that "You are all brothers." The organizers recently announced the event's hymn and logo.
Assuring his closeness to the event Holy Father blessed and signed the Gospel Book that has been chosen as a symbol of the 2024 International Eucharistic Congress. The Pope also blessed Ecuador and said he would pray for peace in the South American country.
After his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis signed the Evangeliario, the book from which the Gospels are read during the liturgy.
During the customary "hand kiss" in the Plaza de San Pedro, Archbishop Alfredo José Espinoza Mateus of Quito and the Primate of Ecuador gave the Pontiff this significant symbol.