AMERICA/MEXICO - Sixty thousand gather for Concelebration of Mass to open the 48th International Eucharistic Congress. “We have come to him to find light for our life, answers to our doubts, courage to bear witness among our brothers and sisters in difficulty to our faith in the Eucharist, nourishment for life” the Papal Envoy told those present.

Guadalajara (Fides) - The 48th International Eucharistic Congress opened on Sunday 10 October in Guadalajara with a solemn Mass presided by the Pope’s envoy Cardinal Jozef Tomko, president of the Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses in the presence of some 60,000 people and 90 delegations from all over the world. Thirty five cardinals, 150 bishops and about 1,000 priests concelebrated with Cardinal Tomko. Church bells rang all over Guadalajara, to announce the opening of this first Congress in the new millennium at midday. The Congress, which is focussing on the theme Eucharist, Light and Life of the New Millennium, will close on Sunday 17 October.
In his homily Cardinal Tomko underlined the main purpose of the Congress: to show and strengthen our faith in Jesus present in the Eucharist. “We come to him to find light for our life, answers to our doubts, courage to bear witness among our brothers and sisters in difficulty to our faith in the Eucharist, nourishment for life”. The world is in turmoil: “on the one hand humanity yearns for unity (peace, rediscovery of the beauty of creation, respect for human rights etc). On the other there are dark shadows of war, violence, conflict of all sorts, ideological attacks on the family, on human life itself, loss of moral awareness and ability to be faithful in love; constant terror which becomes horror, silent apostasy of Christ in some Christian regions, agnosticism which makes no space for religions, and the proliferation of religious sects and fanaticism, often fundamentalism” the Cardinal said.
Speaking of the different aspects of the Eucharist Cardinal Tomko said the Eucharist “is Christ’s special gift to the Church, the gift of Himself, his person. The Eucharist “is Jesus, living and real, although present under a sacramental guise of bread and wine”. Jesus loved us his brothers and sisters so much “as to become our nourishment, to stay with us in a singular and intimate union”. Christ’s sacrifice on the altar “is not a commemoration like a theatre piece, it is a sacramental making present of this redeeming event”, the Cardinal said and urged the Congress participants “to adore, thank Jesus Christ present among us and to ask Mary the woman of the Eucharist to accompany us in our work in these days, so that by taking part in the Eucharistic banquet, in Christ we can be light in the shadows and we may live our lives intimately united with Him”.
In the afternoon perpetual adoration was started in various set places. Some 5,000 people have signed up to ensure round the clock adoration at the Church of Expiation in Guadalajara. Mexico has four million volunteers for night time adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Guadalajara alone has 70,000 Blessed Sacrament volunteers (men, women and children of all ages).
At the church of Santa Maria de Gracia in Guadalajara, men and women religious belonging to more than 120 different congregations will take it in turns to ensure 24 hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At the same time, during the Congress, the same Religious congregations will hold days of adoration in their own communities. Diocesan co-ordinator of Consecrated Life Rafael Salaza M.Sp.S, said the religious the prayer intentions will be for vocations and for justice and peace in the world. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 11/10/2004; Righe 44; Parole 613)