Pontifical Legate blesses the Official Delegation of the IEC 2024
Quito, May 21, 2024
Editor: María José Casco
On May 21, the official IEC 2024 delegation met with Cardinal Kevin Farrell, appointed by Pope Francis as Pontifical Legate for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress.
Cardinal Farrell expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for his appointment and shared his joy at returning to Latin America. “First of all, I would like to thank the Holy Father for this appointment, which for me means returning to Latin America, where I spent eight years of my life working.”
The meeting was attended by Fr. Corrado Maggioni, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, and the official delegation of IEC 2024, made up of Monsignor Alfredo Espinoza, SDB, Archbishop of Quito and Local President of IEC 2024; Mons. Marcos Aurelio Pérez Caicedo, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cuenca; P. Gilber Jiménez, private secretary of the Archbishop of Quito and P. Juan Carlos Garzón, Secretary General of the IEC 2024.
Currently, Cardinal Farrell serves as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Born on September 2, 1947, he entered the priesthood as a member of the Legionaries of Christ on December 24, 1978 and was subsequently incardinated as a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington in 1984. In December 2001, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of that Archdiocese , receiving episcopal consecration on February 11, 2002. In addition to his work as prefect, since 2019 he has held the position of Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, being responsible for presiding over the Apostolic Chamber and administering the temporal goods and rights of the Holy See during the Vacant See.
During the meeting, the delegation expressed its gratitude for your availability to visit Quito and informed you about the progress in the organization of IEC 2024, as well as the details of the schedule established for the Theological Symposium to be held from September 4 to 7 and the Congress from September 8 to 15. In addition, he was given the Base Document of the Congress, which contains theological and pastoral guidelines for the celebration of IEC 2024. He was also given the painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, inspired by the image given by Saint Paul VI to Ecuador, on the occasion of the centenary of the Consecration of the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The meeting concluded with Cardinal Farrell’s blessing given to the official delegation, encouraging them to continue with enthusiasm in the preparations for the Congress. «It is with great pleasure that I am going to Quito and I hope that I find everyone there. Thank you very much and see you soon,” he said.
