International Eucharistic Congress in Quito. Eucharist, fraternity and unityEucharistic Congress in Quito aims to promote fraternityThe International Eucharistic Congresses began in Lille, a city located in northern France, in 1881, at the time of Pope Leo XIII. They were born in part from the spirituality of St. Peter Julian Eymard, known as "the apostle of the Eucharist" and founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, who promoted the Eucharistic spirit in his time because of the secularization he observed in his environment. It was one of his spiritual daughters, Emilie Tamisier, who was the driving force behind the organization of the first Eucharistic congress. Previously, this French laywoman had already organized pilgrimages to shrines that had been the protagonists of Eucharistic miracles. Tamisier also collaborated in the organization of the second congress, in Avignon (France), a city where a Eucharistic miracle had taken place in 1433.
Chronology of the congresses
According to the portal of the Holy See, "the first 24 International Eucharistic Congresses did not have a general theme. They were above all the Congresses of the 'Eucharistic Works'. They dealt with the cult of adoration, procession, Holy Communion (especially for children), the Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic associations and movements. These early congresses sought to promote frequent communion for adults, under certain guidelines, and first communion for children, since the custom of the time was to delay it until adolescence: "In the light of the decrees of St. Pius X on frequent communion, "Sacra Tridentina Synodus"(1905), and on the communion of children, "Quam singularis" (1910), in the preparation and celebration of the Congresses, the frequent communion of adults and the first communion of children were promoted", the Vatican indicates in its documents on the Eucharistic Congresses.
During the pontificate of Leo XIII, fourteen Eucharistic Congresses were held between 1881 and 1902 in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Jerusalem. In addition, this Pope named St. Paschal Baylon patron of the International Eucharistic Congresses.
Then, during the pontificate of Pius X, eleven congresses were held between 1904 and 1914, with a more international perspective, since the American continent was included for the first time. The host countries were France, Italy, Belgium, Belgium, England, Germany, Canada, Spain, Austria and Malta. The last of its time, in Lourdes, was the first Eucharistic congress with a specific theme: "Eucharist and social reign of Jesus Christ".
During the time of Pius XI, nine Eucharistic Congresses were held between 1922 and 1938 in Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, Tunisia, Ireland, Argentina, the Philippines and Hungary. For the first time, the congresses were held on the five continents, and since then the custom of alternating venues throughout the world was established.
The Eucharistic congresses were interrupted by the Second World War and were not resumed until fourteen years later, in 1952 in Barcelona, under Pius XII. The second and last Eucharistic Congress of his pontificate was held in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro.
Only one was held during the pontificate of John XXIII, in Munich in 1960, while Paul VI organized four between 1964 and 1976, in India (when the Pope gave his car to Mother Teresa of Calcutta), Colombia, Australia and the United States.
More recently, John Paul II held seven between 1981 and 2004 in France, Kenya, South Korea, Spain, Poland, Italy and Mexico.
The last congresses have been with Benedict XVI in Quebec (Canada) in 2008 and in Dublin in 2012, and, already with Pope Francis, in Cebu (Philippines) in 2016 and in Budapest in 2021. The one to be held in September this year in the capital of Ecuador is, therefore, the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress.
Organization of the congresses
The objective of an International Eucharistic Congress is "always to make Our Lord Jesus Christ better known, loved and served in his Eucharistic Mystery, the center of the life of the Church and of the Church's mission".
The Pope is in charge of convoking the International Eucharistic Congresses, in the city proposed by a bishop or a bishops' conference.
In 1879, Pope Leo XIII established a Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses to be in charge of the organization and preparation of the congresses. St. John Paul II approved its statutes in 1986.
In 1898, on the occasion of the International Eucharistic Congress in Brussels, it was encouraged to create national committees to facilitate the organization in the host country, as expressed in the documents of the congress: "It would be useful for all countries to imitate the example of the bishops of Spain, Italy and the United States of constituting a national committee to promote together with the diocesan committees more easily the works of the Blessed Sacrament and to ensure the fruits of the Eucharistic congresses".
Within this framework, the figure of the national delegate was also established, who "must prepare for the Plenary Assembly a report on the situation of worship and Eucharistic life in his country". The constitution of the national delegates is subsequent to that of the national committee: it was officially approved by St. John Paul II on April 2, 1986.
The development of a Eucharistic Congress
Even if the congress is held in a specific country, it is an "event of the universal Church" and "must involve the participation of the particular churches scattered throughout the world, as an expression of communion in Christ the Eucharist".
Usually, the Eucharistic Congress lasts for a week, although there is no set duration, since, depending on the particularities and resources of each diocese, it can be one day or several. The culmination of an International Eucharistic Congress is the Statio Orbis, which is "the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Pope or by his legacy as a visible expression of the communion of the universal Church". The Statio Orbis has been held at International Eucharistic Congresses since 1960, resuming "a custom of the ancient Church of Rome [...], when the Pope and the people were united in prayer on certain occasions".
Furthermore, the Holy See indicates the importance of the congress not being a punctual moment in the spiritual life of the diocese, but of continuing to work and encourage the worship of the Eucharist in the parishes, keeping "the flame alive, so that the International Eucharistic Congresses do not remain only a beautiful personal memory, but have pastoral continuity".
Although congresses are a Church event, they can include "an ecumenical and interreligious dimension". There are several indispensable elements in the development of a Eucharistic congress. Its center is "the Eucharistic celebration, source and summit of all Christian life". Therefore, there are common prayers, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic processions. In addition, conferences and teachings are held to deepen the Eucharistic mystery.
