The last time I witnessed and participated a major religious celebration held in Cebu City was the 4th Centennial Celebration of the Christianization of the Philippines in 1965 (I was then a college student). It was held at the newly cultivated North Reclamation area with just a temporary template as the main venue of the celebration.
Fifty years after, there is the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (24-31 January 2016). This time we have a beautiful and permanent pavilion to accommodate an expected large attendance both local and foreign. Early this year, I couldn’t get any answer to my question regarding the activities of the IEC. Thankfully, the Archdiocese Committee on Social Communication invited media columnists to a Media Fellowship on November 24 in preparation for the coming 51st IEC.
Msgr. Junie Tupas presented the background of the 50 IECs held and noted some highlights of these congresses. On the last day of the 50th IEC in Dublin, Ireland, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in 2016 will be held in Cebu City, Philippines. The choice and the announcement brought excitement to every Cebuano here and abroad.
A Eucharistic Congress is an international gathering of people with threefold objectives: to promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church; to help and improve our understanding and celebration of the liturgy; and to draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist.
Normally, the Congress takes place every four years. The daily celebration of the Eucharist is at the very heart of the Congress. The wider program of the Congress includes other liturgical celebrations, cultural events, catechesis, testimonies, and workshops during the week of the Congress. Four days before the 51st IEC proper commences, a Theological Symposium happens at the Cebu Doctors University at the North Reclamation Area with seven thematic concurrent sessions/workshops following the same pattern over the three days of discussion and sharing. Those under the matters of Faith and Religion and those working in the same field of interest (like seminarians, catechists or parish formation team, etc.) are encouraged to join.
Day 1 will be “a sharing of personal experiences;” day 2 discussions will focus on “theological-spiritual insights” emerging from the designated theme; and day 3 will see the participants sharing the concrete implications for the Church mission arising from the discussions on the theme.
In the 51st IEC proper, day 2 and 3 have catechesis and three concurrent sessions per day. The afternoon of day 4 will have the Parish Encounter in 14 City parishes where there will be the Holy Eucharist in the parishes, faith-sharing with the parishioners, and dinner and cultural shows in the parishes. In the evening of day 5, there will be Visita Iglesia in 7 City churches. Before the Visita Iglesia is a penitential service with CBCP President Bishop Socrates Villegas as presider and homilist. It will also be Youth Day with Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City as venue. From evening till dawn, there will be an overnight vigil at Plaza Independencia.
Day 6 and 7 from noon to early afternoon, there will be sessions for the deaf aside from the regular Congress sessions. I am very much interested in the sessions on dialogues particularly that of Cardinal Tagle on “The Eucharist and the Dialogue with Cultures” (day 5, morning); Cardinal Gracias’ “The Eucharist and the Church’s Dialogue with Religions”; and Cardinal Onalyekan on “The Eucharist: Dialogue with the Poor and the Suffering” (day 6, morning) and that of Cardinal Dolan on “The Eucharist and Mary” (day 7, morning).
As Cardinal Tagle said, it is important to prepare ourselves physically and spiritually for the event. This means bearing the tremendous but very welcome pressure put on Cebu and Cebuanos during the congress week next year, preparing for heavy traffic, more walking to the various venues of the activities, and sharing and encountering various cultures.
Cebu is an ideal venue for an IEC. Obviously it was here in Cebu that the seeds of Christianity in the Far East were first planted and grew. It is in Cebu where the most endearing image of Christianity’s earliest roots in the country, the miraculous image of the Sto. Niño can be found. Cebu is also geographically right at the center of the entire Philippine archipelago, a commercial and trade hub that reaches back into the pre-colonial period.
Despite the destruction of WWII on Cebu, much of its ecclesiastical heritage remains in the many towns and cities that host stone churches and rectories, mute witness to time and history, filled with people from all walks of life especially on Sundays and holy days — best evidence of the Cebuanos’ faith in the Eucharist.
The 51st IEC comes one year after the visit of Pope Francis last January. It also happens at the start of the Year of the Poor. Let these two events reinforce our preparation for the forthcoming IEC.
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