Pope Benedict has announced that the 50th international Eucharistic Congress will be held in Dublin, Ireland, June 2012. Here is the Vatican website on it.
Hmm, isn’t the timing a bit risky? Will you-know-what have blown over by then? Maybe so. Will the new translation be implemented and well received by then? Maybe so. Will this event be a shot in the arm for a church which could use it? Maybe so. – awr
Forgive my ignorance, but does the Pope always go to these things??
No, Jack. This might help:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pont_committees/eucharist-congr/documents/rc_committ_euchar_doc_20021009_themes_en.html
and, given that the 2012 Congress is going to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, it’ll be fascinating to see who he sends, or if he goes – and that’s on top of the whole Irish situation, visitation etc.
Thanks for that 🙂
And if memory serves, a certain Bugnini acolyte and former Papal MC is in charge of Eucharistic Congresses.
It will be interesting to observe the ‘style’ of the liturgies.
I think you’ll find the ‘style’ of the liturgies will be set by the Dublin people.
Don’t expect too many effeminate chaps festooned in lace.
Lace can be effiminate, but not always. Many are the warriors who have worn lace. Especially in the West.
The timing might be a bit risky, but the best hope for the future of the Church in Ireland is to set out for the deep waters, duc in altum as JP II urged us (or maybe “onwards and upwards” is a better metaphor). If the Church sits still and does nothing, then nothing will come of nothing, so hopefully the Eucharistic Congress will not be a lost opportunity or another PR disaster. A vibrant faith and participation in the Eucharist must be part of the solution to the problems facing the Irish Church.