(ANS – Cebu City) – The 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) opened with characteristic warm festivity. It was a "rousing, magnificent Welcome Program, featuring a song-and-dance re-enactment of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines" as Fr Marty Macasaet described it.

By Deacon Donnie Duchin Duya, SDB

Fr. Macasaet concelebrated in the IEC opening Mass along with more than 1,500 priests, and with over 200 bishops and 10 cardinals.

In the first part of the Mass, the appointment letter of the Papal Legate – Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, SDB, archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar – was read. Then Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu delivered the salutation to Cardinal Charles Bo.

In his homily, Cardinal Bo called Pope Francis the prophet of the new millennium and hailed the Philippines "as a great nation, a light to Asia," for the presence of Filipinos means evangelization. Quoting the late Jesuit bishop Francisco Claver, he pointed out how the Philippines appeared to have been thought of as the disaster capital of the world due to the natural calamities that strike the country, and yet, the Filipinos have shown how resilient they are!

He peppered his homily with phrases from the Filipino and Cebuano languages to the delight of the local faithful. “Pope Francis loves you very much. Ang atong Santo Padre gihigugma kamo’ng tanan. Kayo’ng lahat ay mahal na mahal ng Santo Padre,” Cardinal Bo said, which elicited applause from the congregation, which was estimated to reach about 350,000.

His Eminence emphasized that "Devotion is good, but it is not enough insofar as we are called to be disciples." He then pointed out that devotion is different from discipleship, for the Mass of a devotee ends in an hour, but the Mass of a disciple is unending; the Mass of a devotee is done on a clean altar while the Mass of a disciple continues in the streets."

The homily of Cardinal Bo was spirited. He went beyond the realm of faith in order to call to the attention of the people that the poor and the Eucharist are inseparable, for "The love of the Eucharist calls us to love the poor."

"The greatest terrorism, the greatest mortal sin is seeing a child die of starvation," he furthered.

Published 25/1/2016