ACIPRENSA – Archbishop of Quito: The pierced Heart of Jesus heals hatred and violence.
By Walter Sánchez Silva
September 19, 2023 / 02:30 PM
During the Mass in an assembly that concluded on September 15th in preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress in Ecuador 2024. The Archbishop of Quito, Mons. Alfredo Espinoza Mateus, affirmed that the pierced Heart of Jesus heals hatred and violence.
“The heart of Jesus on the Cross is the universal altar that attracts us all to Him. The broken heart and the open wounds of our Resurrected Lord become part of these new inheritances of life, of forgiveness and of love, which heal the inheritances of the world like hate, violence and enmity”, I cherish the Prelate in the Eucharist of September 12th at the Basílica of the National Vow.
“We live in a globalization of indifference and we forget that our original and universal vocation is to be hundreds of brothers along the way”, assured the Prelate.
In this sense he recalled that the base document for next year’s Eucharistic Congress highlights: “Fraternity is rooted in the fatherhood of God. This is not a generic, undifferentiated and historically ineffective fatherhood, but rather a personal, punctual and extraordinarily concrete love of God for each human being. The initiative of this God that creates his children and loves them corresponds to the response of mankind.”
Mons. Espinoza further highlighted that “we all have a special place in the heart of God. No one is excluded from his priest’s heart. God is hearty, to the point of sending his son to the world so that everyone who believes in Him has eternal life”.
“May Mary be our model and the safe path to be true ‘missionaries of the Eucarist’. She gave us her Son, and we must carry her Son towards our brother, who has been discarted at the moment”, he said in an encouraging tone.
Plenary Assembly
The Mass that the Archbishop presided over took place in the framework of the plenary assembly held in Quito from September 11 to 15, 2023, in preparation for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place from September 8 to 15, 2024. The date marks 150 years of the Consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the background of the Assembly there were curtains with the motto of the Congress: “Fraternity to heal the world”, which was taken from the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 23.8): “You are all brothers”.
Delegates from Episcopal Conferences from 35 countries participated in the event, including Cardinals, bishops, priests and laypeople; as well as pontifical authorities such as Fr. Corrado Maggioni and Fr. Vittore Boccardi, president and secretary of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.
In the Assembly, the basic document of the Congress was presented and information was provided regarding the event´s progress concerning preparations.