“The world has closed up, our hearts have opened up”

After more than eighty years it is Hungary again that has the privilege to host the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) – this sentence has lost nothing of its truth to this day. All that has changed is that given the world pandemic crises and the consequences that of, Pope Frances had decided this spring, in consultation with the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses and the Hungarian organisers of the Catholic World Meeting, to postpone the event - originally scheduled for 2020 September – by one year.

All along the history of the Eucharistic Congresses since 1881, a forced break was only due to the First and the Second World Wars, while after the latter one no Catholic World Meeting of such was organised until 1952. Now, this is the very first time that a pandemic interfered and blocked the events planned. Then, in May, upon the proposal of Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary, the Holy See approved the new date: the Catholic World Event, hosted by Budapest, Hungary is to be held from 5 to 12 September 2021.

But the original date of the Congress, the week of 13 – 20 September has been so long and so enthusiastically waited by the world’s Catholic community, that it has just been burned into the organisers’ heart. Therefore, it was decided to make this event period as memorable as possible, taking into consideration the given specific circumstances. How can it be possible? Virtually, via the IEC2020 YouTube channel.

Upon Cardinal Péter Erdő’s invitation some of the IEC guest speakers will share their thoughts, and also some testimonies can be heard through these video messages. Moreover, the Hungarian Chief Pastor is to be seen in a very special, new role. The YouTube channel audience will be greeted by Péter Erdő’s presentation on the senders of the video messages, telling some of their remarkable, interesting life stories. Video messages have arrived from five continents, and are going to be broadcasted on the net daily, throughout during the originally scheduled date of the Congress.

Amongst the speakers can be seen an ex-hippie and the “American pope” as well.

However, in advance we can already let you know: there will be some particularly shocking messages from the leaders of the Christian communities in Nigeria and Iraq, tormented all at once both by the war and the pandemic. Both Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church and Valerian Okeke, the Archbishop of Onitsha, Nigeria say thanks the people and the Government of Hungary for their support in helping the Christian communities there during these hard days of bloodshed and pandemic.

“As soon as the coronavirus crisis hit the western societies, a “pik pik pik” increase was seen on the Google research activity on the topic of prayer” – recalls in his video message Johannes Hartl, German theologian, who believes that “crises situations like this current one are always a big opportunity for the Christians to let their light to be seen in front of the world.” Hartl – alike to the other guest speakers – is a particularly remarkable person. He is a father of four children, once a rebellious hippie, later on the founder of a Christian community. Currently he is doing a vlog, he is the author numerous books and an internationally well-recognised speaker.

“It’s gonna make next year even better than ever.” – can be heard in the optimistic video message of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who, quite often is simply referred to as the “American pope”.

In 2021 each of the invited guest speakers will be personally present in Budapest. However, right now during the originally scheduled, but washed away date of the Congress, they are talking to the Hungarian worshippers and to the Christians across the world over a video message, demonstrating that the Eucharist binds us together.

Photo: Marcsi Ambrus

Source: NEK