Eucharistic meet delegates want to see calamity areas

A DESIRE to witness the resilience of the Filipino people amid calamities is a major factor drawing delegates to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), which will be held in Cebu City on Jan. 24-31 next year.

“When people saw these natural calamities, these natural disasters… and yet [the Filipino] people were able to bounce back and stand up and continue the journey, they thought there must be something in the Filipino character, that it’s worth visiting the Philippines,” said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

“So we thought this is something we must share and manifest when they come. I do believe that many others who will come, those who are weak in faith, may find a source of renewal, and those who might have weakened in their hope may strengthen their hope. And those who thought God has no place in our life may see that God is here for us,” Palma said.

Palma said some of the 8,500 delegates had asked that trips to Bohol and Leyte be arranged so they could visit the calamity-hit provinces.

“This early, we are telling the security and those in charge of transportation to make available these visits. They heard that a part of Bohol was destroyed by an earthquake, and they want to see how it’s coping. They also want to see Leyte, the housing programs there and how the people are doing, and how they have bounced back after the calamities,” Palma said in an interview.

He said some delegates who were in Cebu on a prior visit in April also dropped by the Cebu Provincial Jail to see the world-famous dancing inmates.

“When they saw our dancing inmates, they thought it was something unique. That some people may be in jail but in their hearts, they’re already free. That people could be in jail but they’re not imprisoned by anger. It’s something that inspires many others,” Palma said.

The congress, an international gathering that aims to create and promote awareness of the place of the Eucharist in people’s daily lives, carries the theme “Christ in You, Our Hope of Glory.”

“If you look at the calendar of activities, the congress really dwells on the Asian approach: The Eucharist and other religions, the Eucharist and the poor, the Eucharist and cultures. I just don’t want to preempt the speakers but the themes are already there and you will see how the Eucharist, which is a very Christian Catholic [concept], is also an opening to others,” said Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in a separate interview.

Tagle said the IEC is international as well as universal.

“The significance of the event goes beyond the Catholic Church. We know there is a crying need for humanity today. Humanity calls for a gift of loving, forgiving and we hope the celebration of the International Eucharistic Congress may add to the year of mercy. We are asking for your help to make this event not just special for Catholics but prophetic for the whole world,” Tagle said.