Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Task of the Eucharistic Congresses, above all in the present context, is also that of giving a peculiar contribution to the new evangelization, promoting mistagogic evangelization, which is carried out in the school of the Church at prayer, starting from the liturgy and through the liturgy. However, every congress bears in itself an evangelizing inspiration in a more strictly missionary sense, so much so that the binomial Eucharist-mission becomes part of the guidelines proposed by the Holy See.” These are the words that the Holy Father Benedict XVI used in addressing participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Committee of International Eucharistic Congresses, whom he received in an audience on November 11. The Pope continued: “The Eucharistic table, table of sacrifice and of communion, thus represents the diffusing center of the ferment of the Gospel, propelling force for the construction of the human society and pledge of the Kingdom that is coming. The Church's mission is in continuity with that of Christ: 'As the Father has sent me, even so I send you' (John 20:21). And the Eucharist is the principal means of this missionary continuity between God the Father, the incarnate Son, and the Church that journeys in history, guided by the Holy Spirit.”
In his address, the Holy Father recalled the upcoming International Eucharistic Congress in June 2012, which will be held in Dublin, Ireland, on the theme: “The Eucharist, Communion with Christ and Among Ourselves,” which the Assembly has taken great care to prepare as it will be the 50th congress, and it will be held likewise 50 years from the opening of Vatican II, to which the theme makes explicit reference, recalling Chapter 7 of the dogmatic constitution “Lumen Gentium” and “reminds us of the centrality of the Eucharistic mystery for the growth of the life of faith and for every genuine path of ecclesial renewal. The Church, while on pilgrimage on earth, is a sacrament of unity of men with God and among themselves,” said the Holy Father. Lastly, the Pope highlighted the importance that “every Eucharistic congress is able to involve and integrate, according to the spirit of the conciliar reform, all the expressions of the Eucharistic worship 'extra missam' that sink their roots in popular devotion, as well as the associations of the faithful that in various titles draw inspiration from the Eucharist.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 12/11/2010)
