The program might be set up by the end of the summer

- As of April 23, 2020 –given the world pandemic crisis and its consequences- a decision was taken by Pope Frances, in consultation with the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses and with the organisers of the Catholic World Meeting - to postpone by one year the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), hosted by Budapest, Hungary and originally scheduled for 2020 September. What does this one year extra preparation period mean and what kind of opportunity does it grant to the IEC?

- First and foremost I should like to confirm again my view, which I have already expressed: God has always known that this Congress would not be held in 2020, however, for us –the ones, always living within timeframes and deadlines- this was the very due moment to be aware of it. Consequently:

“Our Caring God’s plans have precisely indicated the place and role of the current year, and now it is our duty to discover it and to live it at its best.”

What we have already realised so far is that we are going to have –an unforeseen schedule- a sort of thematic year, which will likely allow us to turn our focus onto our daily and practical faith. Namely, it does not only mean how and how much we pray all along the weekdays, but rather shows us the way by which we can adequately handle and apply Christ’s teachings, the gospel values as well as the love itself –as evangelist Saint John briefly said (John 13:35)- in our daily life’s smaller and larger decisions.

- It came out on the 12th May 2020 that upon the proposal of Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary the Holy See has confirmed the new date of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. The Budapest hosted World Event is to be held between 5 - 12 September 2021. What kind of modifications the new date might bring? Both the scheduled programs and the planned locations are going to be taken place?

- Our main intention is to organise –as far as possible- the very same congress that we have originally planned. It has already been organised and partly completed, and is the fruit of many people’s huge work. At the same time there will probably be some changes, since it is impossible just to postpone by one year both the locations and the lecturers’ attendance. For example the liturgical materials that are practically finalized, should be redone, since the liturgy texts will be completely different during the week of the Congress, moreover all these should be prepared not only in Hungarian but in several world languages as well. The reorganisation procedure triggers many new unpredictable duties, like consultations, modifications, all requiring massive flexibility and extra works. On the whole I would say that:

“The Congress itself will have a likewise character, the way we have already planned. Since the new date has become public in the recent days only, we could not manage the consultation and coordination with the lecturers far ahead, still we have already made the first steps. By the end of the summer the full rescheduled program can be finalised again.”

- What do you suggest to the families who –upon your call- have already been prepared themselves for the current year’s first communion?

- According tour plans, next year there will also be a first joint communion possibility in the course of the Opening Mass, to which everyone is warmly invited.

“Naturally, those who have already registered themselves for this year’s first communion are free to decide whether they are going to have their first communion this year at their parish church, or they postpone it for the next September Congress.”

At the same time we kindly invite all those as well, who have originally intended to make their first communion in the year of 2021.

- Online possibilities have got a new value, while the present situation has clearly proved that it’s worth to make advantage of them. We do not yet know anything about the fall of this year, since do you have any plans for the period 13-20 September 2020?

- When the decision on the postponement became definite, the idea has immediately arisen in our Congress management staff to organise something, like a simple event, but still nothing particular has been decided so far, since at present the situation and due to the pandemic crisis and its consequent regulations everything is still uncertain and vulnerable.

- How do you see, has the IEC message reached the people both in the capital, in the countryside and cross-border as well?

- I do think, that within the Church everyone is perfectly aware of the IEC event, most of them even know what this abbreviation or acronym means. Well, that is another issue, and is showing a more varied picture, who and in what extent feel him/herself to be called in for a personal attendance, who would take this event as of his/her owns. This is very much dependent on one’s activity within the Church, or whether they participate in the community life respectively. In addition:

“We should make it even more understandable that we are talking about an event of the entire World Church:”

It’s not at all coincidental that the Holy See has decided to postpone by one year two other events as well, such as the Family World Meeting and The World Youth Meeting, so that the Catholic Church would have one single great world event within a year time. Thus it can be taken as a unique opportunity, to experience a world church experience here in Hungary.

- Archbishop Piero Marini, President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses underlined in his interview, given upon moving the Congress to 2021, that he had never ever seen such a widespread interest for an Eucharistic Congress and such a large number of registration than in case of the Budapest Congress. How can you keep the interest tuned?

- We can definitely declare, that pro rata temporis an extremely large number of participants have registered for the Congress, as Archbishop Marini has also indicated. I believe that this special interest is very much related to the fact that the IEC is strictly dedicated himself to the idea of renewal both on private and personal level.

“It’s my belief that such a renewal should go ahead, and this is what we would like to extend with suitable reference points during the coming thematic year.”

Given the new situation, we have not planned anything definite so far, and compared to the previous years, a new strategy should be implemented. Anyway our colleagues are already working on it.

- The Congress motto is: “All my springs are in you” – how and in what sense this motto can ensure strength and hope in present challenging times?

- As it has been worded several times by Cardinal Péter Erdő, that all is good what has been done by the virtue of mercy. It derives from Christ’s redemptive sacrifice, and is represented in its real sense by the Holy Eucharist, while nourishing us at the same time. As a shut door did not mean any barrier for the resurrected Jesus, moreover his enduring love had opened the door to the hearts of the Emmaus disciples or of the Apostle Saint Thomas, thus

“Our faith is strengthened by love, since He promised to stay with us every day till the end of the World.”

Photo (archive): Attila Lambert

István Kuzmányi/Magyar Kurír