Pontiff wishes to remain in good health so he can attend Int’l Eucharistic Congress

“Pray that I’m still alive by that time and that I still have enough strength (to travel).”

Pope Francis reportedly said this after Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma personally invited the Holy Father of the Roman Catholic church to grace the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) which will be held in the Queen City of the south in 2016.

Palma, also the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, met the Pope in Rome last April 2, but he revealed the pontiff’s remarks in a homily he delivered last Saturday at the  Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Cebu City.

“I told him to visit the Philippines during the International Eucharistic Congress and the Holy Father told me: ‘Pray that I’m still alive by that time and that I still have enough strength (to travel). I cold help but laugh at his remark,” Palma said.

The Pope, who assumed the papacy in March following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, will be 79 in 2016.

Pope John Paul II was nearly 75 years old when he last visited the country in 1995 for the World Youth Day celebration. The pontiff was supposed to make his third visit to the country for the World Meeting of Families that was held in January 2003, but John Paul at 82 was no longer fit to travel as he was already suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.

Preparations

The 63-year-old prelate said Msgr. Dennis Villarojo has been appointed secretary-general for all the preparations in relation to the IEC.

Palma said they are eyeing the South Reclamation Project (SRP) in Cebu City to be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the IEC.

“I already told Mayor (Michael) Rama to tentatively set the SRP for the big event. We are expecting around 10,000 delegates (from different parts of the world),” he said.

A part of the SRP was also used by the Archdiocese of Cebu during the Nov. 30 thanksgiving Mass for the canonization of St. Pedro Calungsod last year.

Since Cebu doesn’t have a huge venue for various conferences during the EIC, Palma said they are considering Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino to accommodate the week-long activities.

“Details will be determined when the event is near,” Palma said.

Palma said Archbishop Piero Marini, president of the Pontifical Committee on the IEC, requested that the IEC scheduled in Cebu City on May 23-29, 2016, be moved to another date since the Pope had a full calendar for May.

Due to Marini’s request, the IEC, which carries the theme “Christ in You: Our Hope of Glory” will now be held from Jan. 25 to 31 in 2016.

Corpus Christi

Palma explained the signifance of the Holy Eucharist as the Catholics all over the world celebrated yesterday the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or popularly known as Corpus Christi.

“The hunger of people is not just for ordinary food. People hunger for love, peace, and justice. People are hungry for God, His words, and the Eucharist,” he said.

“Food is associated with life. If a person does not eat, he or she is weak. The Lord gigves us the food that would bring us eternal life. This food is the source of life,” he added.

The IEC is held every four years to promote awareness of the  Eucharist  in the life and mission of the Church, to improve understanding and celebration of the liturgy, and to draw to the social dimension of the  Eucharist .

The last time the Philippines hosted the IEC was in 1937 in Manila. /Ador Vincent Mayol, Reporter