Archbishop Marini: An
opportunity to improve preparations for International Eucharistic Congress
 |
| Symbol of the Eucharistic Congress in Hungary |
The President of the Pontifical Committee for International
Eucharistic Congresses, Archbishop Piero Marini, speaks with Vatican News about
the decision to postpone the upcoming Eucharistic Congress.
By Vatican News
In a statement released on Thursday, the Director of the
Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni announced that the 52ndInternational
Eucharistic Congress scheduled for September this year in Hungary had been
postponed to September 2021. The postponement was due to the current
coronavirus pandemic and the “consequences for the movement and aggregation of
the faithful and pilgrims.”
Speaking with Alessandro De Carolis of Vatican News, the
President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses,
Archbishop Piero Marini, explains the reason for the postponement.
Vatican Radio: Your Excellency, what did you take into
consideration before reaching this decision?
Archbishop Piero Marini: The considerations were
the following: the position of those responsible for Health and Hygiene not
only of the Vatican but also internationally. They cannot now guarantee that
everything, including flights and communications, will have returned to normal
in September. It is an international congress with people coming from all parts
of the world. So far, it seems to me that there have been more than 60,000
registrations. We cannot, therefore, safely celebrate a Eucharistic Congress
without the certainty that our countries would be free from this pandemic.
VN: You have taken part in numerous International
Eucharistic Congresses, which take years to prepare. What does this
postponement mean to you?
PM: This postponement creates a bit of
difficulty for the local Committee who will have to get in touch again with the
participants and the guests for the Theological Symposium to review all of the
positions. However, this year of preparation which is offered to us is also an
opportunity to improve preparations for the Congress itself, and the theme. It
is an opportunity to do things more calmly. I have participated in some
Eucharistic Congresses beginning with Quebec, then Dublin, then Cebu. Never
before have I seen so much interest in a Eucharistic Congress and never before
have I seen so many registrations.
VN: The title of the Congress in Budapest is “All my
springs are in you”. It sounds like an invitation to look at what matters most,
especially in this period of uncertainty and fear...
PM: Yes, the theme is a short passage from a
Psalm. They are words addressed to Jerusalem: “All my springs are in you”.
Obviously, they can also be addressed to the source of all springs which is
God. “All my springs are in you” is also, above all, directed towards the
Eucharist.
VN: What do you feel like saying to the people of the
Eucharistic Congresses and in particular to the Hungarian Church?
PM: To the Hungarian Church in particular, I say
that this is an opportune time to better prepare for the Congress of 2021. At
the international level, and to the local Churches, I ask that you organize
everything in the best possible way. We hope that in 2021 the pandemic will be
over and that even more people than those who have already booked this year
will be able to participate. The Eucharistic Congress is also important because
of the geographical position of Hungary, a post-communist country. I believe it
is also important for Europe, to reflect on its roots. I hope that this Congress
next year will be a moment for the Church and society to reflect on the fact
that everything really depends, at least for us Catholics and believers, on the
Eucharist. Jesus’ words have become our Gospel and Jesus’ actions have become
our Sacraments. It is fundamental for us to see this in the celebration of the
Congress.
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