By Francesca Merlo
In a message signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis has encouraged the work of the participants at the second National Eucharistic Congress, held in Rwanda from Dec 4-8.
In the message, addressed to Bishop Vincent Harolimana, Bishop of Ruhengeri and delegate of the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda (CEPR) for the Eucharistic Congresses, the Pope joined in the “joy” and “thanksgiving” of all the Christian faithful in the African country.
The theme of the conference, “Let us fix our gaze on Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist: a source of hope, fraternity, and peace,” provided an opportunity to reflect on Communion as the “centre of all Christian life” and a tangible sign of “Christ’s love for humanity,” he said.
According to Pope Francis, living this out “encourages us to give ourselves to others,” working together “to build a civilisation of love.”
He described the Eucharist as being a means to becoming missionaries of fraternity and of tangible signs of hope. He noted that it is also a call to recognise our responsibility in the face of the various “hungers” humanity is facing, including our “hunger for meaning.”
In preparation for the Jubilee and the 125th anniversary of Rwanda’s evangelisation, the Pope encouraged the faithful to return to “Christ, the bread of life,” urging them to show solidarity with “anyone in a situation of vulnerability.”
“We must be tangible signs of hope,” the Pope emphasised, echoing the message of the Bull of Indiction for the Holy Year, Spes non confundit.
The Eucharist, concluded Pope Francis, calls for a shared responsibility towards the physical and spiritual needs of humanity, fostering a hope “in the triune God.”
Its nature is “essentially relational,” he said, adding that the Eucharist invites people to live “in community” rather than “in isolation.”
Together, he said, Catholics are called to break down the barriers “of race, language, or cultural tradition.” – Vatican News
