2016-01-26 11:40:00

Bishop Barron: Eucharistic Congress indispensable for evangelization


(Vatican Radio) The 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) is taking place this week in Cebu, Philippines. The event – which takes place every four years – brings together people from around the world to worship and learn more about the Eucharist.

Bishop Robert Barron – an Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, California – told Vatican Radio the event is an “indispensable”  tool of evangelization.

“You’ve got so many speakers who are suggesting avenues that they’ve used – intellectual approaches, practical approaches – and we all come together and listen to each other, and that is very enlivening,” he said.

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“I think these are indispensable if we are trying to find new ways,” Bishop Barron said. “We listen, watch…see what’s working and what isn’t working, both in terms of instruction, and in terms of practicality.”

Pope Francis sent a message to the meeting, but his schedule did not allow for a second visit to the country in two years, after his 2015 Apostolic trip.

“When we first invited him, and thought they are planning to come, we are happy! And then, the [2013 Bohol] earthquake came, and [Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda] came, and there’s a lot of disaster that happened, and when the Pope said I think I should go the Philippines earlier, we understand,” said Archbishop Jose Palma, the Archbishop of Cebu and President of the IEC.

“And I think, when we look back, we can only be very pleased that this coming gives so much inspiration to the people,” Archbishop Palma told Vatican Radio.

“We know that as a Church leader – as the Vicar of Christ – he manifested to us the love of the Lord,” he said. “Am I sorry? No, because what he did even manifests even more the love of the Pope to our people.”








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