It is noted that “The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, Emeritus Archbishop of Caracas, as Papal Legate for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress, which will be held in Quito, on the 150th anniversary of Ecuador’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, from September 8 to 15, 2024, with the final Sunday featuring the ‘Statio Orbis.’

The Pontifical Legate will preside over the solemn closing Mass of the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress or ‘Statio Orbis,’ which means ‘station of the world,’ a pause that the Christian world makes before the Eucharist.

The Statio Orbis is a moment “to take stock of the journey made and regain strength for future goals in history and time,” because only in the Eucharist, which for Christians is the Body of Christ, is salvation found.

Since 1960, International Eucharistic Congresses have been called Statio Orbis, with the celebration of the Eucharist as the center and culminating point of all diverse manifestations and forms of Eucharistic devotion.

Cardinal Baltazar Porras Cardoso

Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on October 10, 1944. He was ordained a priest on July 30, 1967, and on July 30, 1983, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida. On October 30, 1991, he was appointed Archbishop of Mérida. On November 19, 2016, he was created a Cardinal by Pope Francis.

Between 2018 and 2023, Cardinal Baltazar Porras served as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Caracas, after which he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas until June 2024, when Pope Francis accepted his resignation due to age limits.

In 2019, Cardinal Baltazar Porras was a delegate president at the Synod of the Amazon in the Vatican.