The Pope on the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress: Let us build together fraternity to heal the world

Pope Francis urged the faithful to “build together fraternity to heal the world,” united in love for the Eucharist. He indicated this in a letter sent to Cardinal Baltazar Porras, Archbishop Emeritus of Caracas and Pontifical Legate for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress.

This call is framed in the context of the next Congress to be held in Quito, Ecuador, from September 8 to 15, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In his letterthe Holy Father highlighted the importance of the Eucharist as an act of love that unites God with his people. “The mystical nature of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is based on God’s giving for us, and therefore carries a social dimension, so that ‘one body’ (1 Cor 10, 17) we may be, merged into a single existence ”said the Pope.

“In the Eucharistic sacrament, love of God and love of neighbor truly come together: the incarnate God draws us all to Himself,” he added.

The Pontiff’s words emphasized that the Eucharist is not only an act of worship, but an invitation to charity: “In the Eucharistic sacrament, love of God and love of neighbor truly come together: the incarnate God draws us all to He”.

At a time of global crisis and polarization, the Pope recalled the motto of the next Congress and made an urgent call to “build together a fraternity that heals the world.” Quoting his encyclical Brothers allhighlighted the need for all human beings to recognize themselves as “a single human race, as pilgrims made of the same human flesh, as children of the same land that welcomes us all.”

The Holy Father also stressed that the International Eucharistic Congress is an opportunity to “rekindle the gift of God” and to “recognize all peoples as brothers, united by the Eucharistic love that emanates from the Heart of Christ.” This gathering in Quito not only commemorates an important historical event for Ecuador, but also acts as a call to global action, inviting the faithful to become agents of peace and reconciliation in a wounded world.

He also urged Cardinal Porras to preside over this Congress in his name, and express to “all the faithful gathered there Our constant humanity.” “By addressing the ecclesial meaning of the Eucharist, you will also proclaim that it is the source of communion from which arises the mandate to open the healing work of Christ,” Francis invited.

The Pope’s letter concludes with a blessing for the Congress participants, exhorting them to be “makers of fraternity” and to use the Eucharist as a tool to heal the “wounds of this world.”