Emmanuel
EUCHARIST: LIVING & EVANGELIZING
Excerpts from the Basic Text of the
51st International Eucharistic Congress
by Vittore Boccardi, SSS
The Philippines is the only predominantly Catholic and Christian country in Asia.
The faith planted by missionaries five centuries ago has flourished in the rich soil
of the Filipino people, who have endured foreign domination, political upheaval,
and a peaceful revolution, and emerged strong, resilient, and hopeful. Their faith is
rooted in the Eucharist.
Blessed
Sacrament
Father Vittore
Boccardi is the
secretary of
the Pontifical
Committee on
International
Eucharistic
Congresses. He
lives in Rome.
The Philippine Context
“T
he
51st International Eucharistic Congress should, in a specially
radiant and effective way, proclaim the mystery of Christ
considering the place of the faith and of the church in Philippine
history. The church in the Philippines has a providential vocation for
mission particularly in Asia, a vocation so constantly affirmed by the
Roman Pontiffs.
“The presence and active involvement of the Catholic laity in the
various sectors of society, ecclesiastical and pastoral affairs included,
bears a great potential to influence the socio-political and economic
landscape in the manner of leaven in the dough. Poverty and lack of
employment opportunities push many Filipinos to migrate to other
countries both within and outside Asia, but when they do they bring
their Christian faith along with them and share it with the people with
and for whom they work, more perhaps by their example and values
than by their words. The Philippine church, then, is a source of hope
in a special way precisely as ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ among
the peoples of Asia, as Pope Paul VI affirmed in his 1970 visit to the
Philippines. . . .
“The [congress] . . . forms part of the ‘nine-year novena’ which the
faithful in the Philippines are celebrating in preparation for the
joyous and historic observance of the 500th anniversary in 2021 of
the coming of the Christian faith and of the Christian church to the