Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - In the early evening of Saturday October 15, over 100,000 children who made their First Holy Communion this year, mainly from Italy but also from other countries, accompanied by their parents, catechists and parish priests filled St Peter’s Square and beyond, for a special catechism class on the Eucharist with Pope Benedict XVI. As the Year of the Eucharist draws to a close and while the Synod of Bishops is assembled to reflect on the mystery of the Eucharist the event was “a good opportunity to underline the essential place of the sacrament of the Eucharist in children’s spiritual formation and growth” the Pope had said when he announced the initiative some months back on 12 June.
The meeting, with the slogan “The Eucharist is our Celebration”, lasted just under two hours. The first half hour the children were entertained by popular singers and actors who spoke about the values of celebration, peace and brotherhood. The children were particularly enthralled by a group of Rumanian clowns used to dealing with children. In fact in Bucharest these generous artistes help street children start a new life by teaching them the art of the circus. The children also watched film clips of Pope John Paul II with children to the background song Morning Watchmen composed after Pope John Paul II encouraged 2 million participants at World Youth Day 2000 in Rome to be alert like watchmen.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the square just after 6pm in an open car welcomed by dancing and singing and thousands of waving scarves. The official welcome address was read by ten year old Emanuele who spoke about his own feelings when he made his First Holy Communion and then ran to hug the Pope with a: “we love you”. There followed a reading from the 1st Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (11,23-26) on the institution of the Eucharist, psalm 147 and response “Laudate omnes gentes, laudate dominum” and the Gospel of the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Lk 9, 11b-17).
Speaking off the cuff the Pope then began to answer questions put by a small group of children representatives sat cross legged on the floor around him. Recalling his own First Communion the Pope said: “That day I was very happy because Jesus had come into my heart and I knew it was the beginning of a new stage in my life and that it was important to remain faithful to this meeting, this communion”. On child asked whether it was necessary to go to confession every time before receiving Holy Communion even if the sins were always the same. The Pope replied that it was necessary to confess a serious sin which offends Jesus so deeply that friendship with him is broken and must start again”. With regard to frequent confession, the Pope said “frequent confession helps us keep our soul tidy and beautiful and to mature in life”.
Another question was about the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist: “I cannot see Him” said Andrea, and the Pope replied: "We cannot see Him, yet there are many things we cannot see but that exist and are essential. For example, we cannot see our own reason and intelligence ... yet they exist for we can speak and think. We cannot see electricity, but we feel its effects, such as light. We cannot see the most profound things, but we can see and feel their effects.… It is the same with the Risen Lord: we cannot see him with our eyes but we can see that where Jesus is people change, they are better people. They are more open to peace and reconciliation”.
With regard to the importance of Sunday Mass the Pope said (“Meeting Jesus is important for us...it is a light for Sunday for the whole family”); the importance of Communion (“It helps to find the centre of life … If God is absent in my life, if Jesus is absent I am without a guide, an essential friendship, I miss an important joy for my life, the strength to grow as a person, to overcome my vices and become more humanly mature”); the meaning of the words “Jesus Bread of Life” (“Just as the body needs food, the spirit, soul and the will need to be nourished...Jesus himself is the nourishment of our soul.. the food which we need”); Adoration (“The Holy Father explained to the children that to adore "is to recognize that Jesus is the Lord, the center of our lives. To pray is to say: Jesus, I am Yours, I never want to lose this friendship, this communion with You. ... The absence of God, is a harmful deficiency, He is the light and the guide of our lives, of which we have need.”).
At the end of the catechism class the Blessed Sacrament was brought in procession to the altar accompanied by children and singing of hymns and moments of silence. Every word was addressed to Jesus in the Eucharist and despite the late hour the children were amazingly attentive and devout. There was something unique about the whole event. It was the first time that St Peter’s Square had seen so many children, the Pope and Cardinals and Bishops gathered to adore the Blessed Sacrament. A message which needed no comment. The Pope, visibly moved and overjoyed in the presence of so many ‘little ones’ imparted his Blessing and left the square thanking everyone for the wonderful “celebration of faith”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2005, righe 70, parole 1.006)
