IEC Congress 2012
Photo: Salt and Light Media Youtube Bishop Kevin Doran asks people to consider coming to Budapest to celebrate Christ’s living presence
On January 31, 2016 Pope Francis spoke by telecast from Rome to the huge crowd gathered for the Statio Orbis Mass at San Pedro Calungsod, overlooking the sea in Cebu, Philippines. He told us that the next International Eucharistic Congress would be celebrated in 2020 in Budapest, Hungary. He asked us to pray for those who would be preparing it. Cardinal Péter Erdo of Budapest was there with his delegation and I remember thinking two things: “Budapest is a lot closer for us than the Philippines” and “the four years will pass quicker than they think”.
Four years has almost passed and the registration process is open. The congress in Budapest will take place from September 13-20. I hope many readers of The Irish Catholic will consider joining us in Budapest for the congress.
Ancient heritage
Hungary has a very ancient Christian heritage, dating from its first King, St Stephen. Like many of us today, Stephen was a ‘millennial’, living as he did just a thousand years ago. Stephen was known for his personal faith and for his commitment to justice and charity.
The more recent history of Hungary has been difficult for people of faith. During the 20th Century, Jews and Christians were persecuted for their religious belief. Cardinal Josef Mindszenty, who was Archbishop of Estergom from 1948 to 1971, was imprisoned both by the Nazis and by the communists.
Christian Faith and values survived in Hungary by going ‘underground’ and were passed on to more recent generations by vibrant ‘illegal’ communities. The number of practising Catholics was greatly reduced, while two or three generations grew up without any religious education. Over the past 30 years the Church in Hungary has come out of the shadows and experienced renewal, but it now faces the same challenges that we face in Western Europe.
There will be daily celebrations of the Eucharist, catechesis and testimonies from around the world as well as a variety of cultural and spiritual activities”
Almost eight years ago, we celebrated our congress around the theme of ‘Communion’. The next congress in Budapest is an opportunity for us, not only to relive that experience of faith for ourselves, but to express our communion with the Church in Hungary.
Every International Eucharistic Congress has a theme around which the various liturgies and activities are focussed. The theme of IEC2020 is: ‘All My Springs are in You’ (Psalm 87). The ‘spring’ (or ‘stream’ or ‘fountain’) symbolises God who is the giver of life. For devout Jews, the Lord is always present in the Temple at Jerusalem.
For us Christians, new life comes through the waters of Baptism and we are nourished with the Eucharist, which is described by the Second Vatican Council as the “source and summit” of the whole Christian life.
But the image of the stream has another significance also. The Bible frequently refers to streams of people coming to Jerusalem (e.g. Isaiah 2). Sometimes it is the Hebrews coming home from exile and sometimes it is the people of other nations coming to acknowledge the God of Israel.
The preparatory document for the congress refers to the ‘Lord’s Day’ as being like “an immense river which gathers up Christians coming from everywhere…Christians coming on foot, on bicycles, in the metro and by bus or in cars; hundreds of thousands of the baptised uniting around the altar of the Lord, to become together the Body of Christ in the heart of the modern city”.
It is almost impossible to avoid making the connection between this image and the River Danube which flows through Budapest and where people from all over the world will gather to worship and to be nourished. When the congress ends we, like the pilgrims in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost, will be sent out on mission, back upstream, to share the gift of life with others in the course of our everyday activities and in all the places from which we came.
Every International Eucharistic Congress has a theme around which the various liturgies and activities are focussed. The theme of IEC2020 is: ‘All My Springs are in You’ (Psalm 87)”
Like Hungary, Ireland has been through its own time of persecution. A number of Irish bishops were forced into exile at the end of the Cromwellian wars in the mid-17th Century.
One of these was Bishop Walter Lynch of Clonfert, who sought refuge in the city of Gyor, between Bratislava and Budapest. He brought with him a painting of the Madonna and Child, which hangs today in the Cathedral of Gyor. The image is well known throughout Hungary because the Madonna wept during Mass on St Patrick’s Day in 1697. There were hundreds of witnesses and no natural explanation. Over time, the image became known as the ‘Consoler of the Afflicted’ and was a particular focus of devotion throughout times of persecution in Hungary. There will be an opportunity for those who wish to visit Gyor during IEC2020.
Activities
Many of the congress activities will take place in Hungexpo, a large multipurpose venue. The concluding Mass (Statio Orbis) will take place in Heroes Square and there will be daily celebrations of the Eucharist, catechesis and testimonies from around the world as well as a variety of cultural and spiritual activities.
Meanwhile, as part of our spiritual preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress, the National Apostolate for Eucharistic Adoration, in partnership with the bishops’ conference will host a national gathering around the Eucharist next June. Adoremus will be celebrated at Knock Shrine on the weekend of June 19/20.
The official pilgrimage to IEC2020 is being organised in partnership with JWT.