Tagle’s hopeand IEC will forge unity

MANILA – We are constantly lookingand how can we be a family united? And our hope is that through this International Eucharistic Congress, the Catholic Church, and all the Christians could contribute to this search for communion and unity.”This was the message of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle during a national press conference on the 51st International Eucharistic Congress held on Aug. 12 at Arzobispado de Manila. I want to believe that the International Eucharistic Congress to be held next January is a contribution of the Catholic Church, especially the Church in the Philippines, to this international search for communion.”Communion despite divisionTagle stressed that despite many agreements and movements aiming to bring people together, the world is still a land divided, and it a mystery of our times.”This being said, the IEC’s main objective is to deliver hope to everyone. It seems many have already lost hope,” said the cardinal. The Church wants to contribute to the search of humanity for hope, and our response is hope, because Christ is in us.”‘[If] nobody turns to you, [or] nobody talks to you, [then] you can go to Jesus. He is there all the time,’ he added.Follow JesusTagle underlined the mission of every individual who receive communionand to follow Jesus. For Jesus in us was the one sent by the Father, [therefore] those who received communion, [and] who has devotion to the Eucharist must follow Jesus,” said the prelate.He also explained that in preserving our environment, as written in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, everyone can be Jesus’ followers. It is in this common home, the Earth, where we get the bread that would become the Body of Christ… the grapes crushed to become wine, which will become the Blood of Christ,” he said.The cardinal also called on the faithful to set aside division and perform more benevolent acts that will lead to communion, just like Christ who worked actively for the benefit of others.”Deeper faithTagle prays that the faithful who will participate in the IEC will not only be blessed by hope but be able to apply everything they will learn in their everyday life. Hopefully, it will be translated into a lifestyle,” he said.Tagle also discussed how the Eucharist can deeply transform every Catholic. The celebration of the Eucharist is very specific to a community and time,” he said. The faith life is always in need of renewal and purification… how can we make the worship to the Eucharist an impetus to mission outside the Church?”Filipino touchLooking forward to the monumental gathering, the cardinal expects the Filipinos to showcase their unique culture through hospitality, popular religiosity, and delicious food.Furthermore, according to Tagle, the topics to be discussed during the Congress are very Asian,” and centers on familiar topics such as culture and the poor.He also mentioned improvements on the idea of liturgical space” to make the event more prayer-conducive and attuned to the Filipino culture.(Luke Godoy/CBCPNews)