Madam, – I refer to June Rafferty’s letter (June 18th) in which she suggests that it was inappropriate, in the light of the report of the Ryan Commission, for parishes to hold a collection to fund the preparation of the forthcoming International Eucharistic Congress. As the person responsible for co-ordinating the preparation of the Congress, I offer the following thoughts in case they may be of help.
The concerns expressed are quite understandable. We certainly do not wish to convey the impression that, irrespective of what is going on around us it is “business as usual”. Having said that, the Eucharist is not just about what we receive; it is also about what we are called to become – “one body in Christ”.
The reality of abuse is one of a number of things which have forced us to recognise that we have not been living as one body, even if we thought we were. The parts of the body that needed special care were, in fact, neglected.
Jesus Christ is described in the Scriptures as “the sacrifice that takes our sins away” (those sins that cut us off from or diminish our effectiveness as members of His body). He didn’t achieve this by brushing things under the carpet, but by the total gift of himself. This “gift of self” for others must also be at the heart of our celebration of the Eucharist and I would argue that many of our failures as Christians can be attributed to the fact that we have lost sight of the essential connection between what we receive and what we are as the body of Christ.
The purpose of the Eucharistic Congress is to “make manifest the central place of the Eucharist in the life of the Church and in her mission for the life of the world”. It is not just an event in 2012, and it is certainly not meant to be a “populist display”.
An essential element of the Congress will be the programme of catechesis and evangelisation, including the call to conversion and solidarity that will take place between now and 2012.
I believe that, if we could take on board the real meaning of the Eucharist, we might, as St Paul suggested to the people of Corinth, begin to live out the implications of Communion more authentically in our daily lives. For that reason, I believe the Congress, rather than being seen as a distraction from the serious concerns of the moment, may be one way of responding to those concerns.
It would not be appropriate, especially in these difficult times, to host a lavish Congress. On the other hand, I think most people recognise that, if we are to achieve anything of lasting value, some significant funding will be required, alongside the prayers and the hard work of many people. – Yours, etc,