“Written by: Valeria Gavilanes S.”
IEC 2024: A Congress with a Latin American Face
Preparations are advancing for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place from September 8 to 15. This was explained by Father Juan Carlos Garzón, Secretary General of the major Eucharistic event of the Universal Church, IEC 2024, during his appearance on the program “Al Caer el Sol” with journalist Bernardo Abad.
During the conversation, Father Juan Carlos Garzón reminded that the venue for an International Eucharistic Congress is returning to Latin America after twenty years, following the Mexican city of Guadalajara’s hosting of the world’s largest Eucharistic gathering in 2004.
He commented that it is the most important event of the Catholic Church, held every four years in different countries around the world. According to him, the previous Congress took place in Budapest, Hungary.
He also explained that the theme of the Congress, “Fraternity to Heal the World,” was chosen by Pope Francis and is inspired by the quote from verse 8 of chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew: “You are all brothers.”
Christ Can Heal the Wounds
In another part of the dialogue, Father Juan Carlos Garzón commented that the goal of these Eucharistic gatherings is to reflect on what has happened to humanity, that is, how sometimes selfishness can overcome us and we do not think about the suffering brother who needs our support. He added that, given the current reality of society, “Catholics affirm that it is Christ who can heal the wounds of the world. The Eucharist creates fraternity not only within the Catholic Church but also outside it.”
He also reported that from September 4 to 7, a Theological Symposium will be held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, with around four hundred people in attendance. From September 8 to 15, the International Eucharistic Congress will take place at the Metropolitan Convention Center in Quito.
On September 8, the opening Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., during which more than a thousand children will make their First Communion. At the same time, on September 15, the Eucharist Statio Orbis will be held.
From Monday to Friday, there will be presentations by prominent figures such as Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and Director of the Fratelli Tutti Foundation, who will also hold meetings with academia and civil society.
The Congress will also feature the presence of a delegate from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to provide testimony on how pastoral care is lived in times of war: “Catholicism is a radical Catholicism because the very suffering of war makes them more united. It is a unity in faith and in Christ,” said Father Juan Carlos.
Masses in Multiple Languages and Eucharistic Procession
In the dialogue, the Secretary General of the International Eucharistic Congress 2024 also announced that on Thursday, September 12, at 6:00 p.m., Masses in various languages will be celebrated in churches in Quito’s historic center: English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Mandarin Chinese, among others, and possibly Latin. Additionally, on Saturday, September 14, at 4:30 p.m., a solemn Eucharist is planned in the Plaza de San Francisco, with the final blessing at the Basilica of the National Vow, following a solemn Eucharistic procession through the colonial streets.
The Blessed Sacrament will traverse the center of Quito and pass over flower carpets made by the faithful: “Quito will shine with torches as a light for the world; we believe that the sign of ascending to the Basilica and receiving the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament from there is very symbolic because it is a blessing for the entire world. The eye of the Catholic world will be on Quito,” he added.
He also highlighted the importance of the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, September 15, called Statio Orbis, which aims for the entire Catholic world to pause for a moment to contemplate the greatness of God.
Invitation to Celebrate the Eucharistic Festival
In another part of the dialogue, Father Juan Carlos Garzón invited both Ecuadorian and foreign people to participate in these events and to live the feast of faith. “Let us not expect everyone to be Catholic; in the end, we are all brothers and we must learn to live with our differences and respect each other’s way of thinking and believing. If the other is not from my political party, my football team, my religion, it does not mean they are my enemy. We need to seek more what unites us,” he commented.
Finally, referring to the theme of the Congress, he stated that we have a wounded Ecuador and that the task of healing it is up to everyone.
See the entrevista completa aquí.