Scottish Catholic Observer

The second day, Monday June 11, of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress offered a focus to the importance of Christian unity in the Church of today. The theme of the day was Exploring and Celebrating Our Communion through Baptism.

Thousands of international and Irish pilgrims attended morning Mass in their native languages at the Congress’ 34 host churches located throughout Dublin City. Though the main contingent of Scottish pilgrims has yet to arrive, the church set aside for Scottish pilgrims was this evening the locus for the celebration of Irish Faith and Culture before the Scottish Bishops led by Cardinal O’Brien. The hospitality of the parish of the Miraculous Medal in Dublin was second to none.

Earlier in the day a catechesis on Baptism was delivered in the main Royal Dublin Society Arena by Br Alois Löser, the Prior of the Taizé Community, France. His presentation was entitled Communion and Baptism: A Passion for the Unity of Christ’s Body.

Later in the day, Dr Maria Voce, president of the International Focolare Movement, shared her personal testimony on Word of Life.

The true highlight of the day, however, was an ecumenical celebration of a Liturgy of Water and Word presided over by Archbishop Michael Jackson, Anglican Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. Methodists, Russian Orthodox, Catholics and Anglicans all celebrated together joined by Bishop Brian Farrell, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity.

Preaching during the liturgy of Word and Water, Archbishop Jackson said: “This … Eucharistic Congress … speaks of the broader picture of the life of communion flowing from baptism. Once we accept that mission is, first and last, God’s mission, questions have to be asked about how we enable this gift of God to be the spiritual activity and the active spirituality of the church of today. And we need to be mindful always that God speaks through the world to the church, as also to the world through the church. Both need each other and both are enriched by the interchange of care and concern.”

His concluded with the reflection that: “Baptism enables distinct Christian communities to have not simply parallel lives but a shared life. The ministry and mission of God in the church for the world is the responsibility of all God’s people.”

Earlier in the day, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the International Eucharistic Congress president, delivered an address at the RDS Concert Hall about The Church in the Modern World.

“The particular challenge in Ireland is to learn to know who Jesus is,” Archbishop Martin said. “Many nominal Catholics, including some who, notwithstanding regular attendance in church, have never reflected personally on the faith they have assimilated through societal and familial influence.”

He further explained that: “The Church has to find new ways of being present in a new Irish society. To do that the Church must re-discover its own sense of communion and sense of common purpose, overcoming its internal divisions in a spirit of love of the Church and in a dialogue of charity.

“My hope is that this Congress may be a signpost as to how our Communion with Christ in the Eucharist can generate a new understanding of our communion with each other in a modern world which is today very different to that of the 1960s and in a future which will be even more different and challenging.”

Today’s theme will be Communion in Marriage and Family and will be an exciting continuation of some of the themes celebrated in the recent Seventh World Meeting of Families presided over by Pope Benedict XVI in Milan, Italy, last week.

— Auxiliary Bishop Stephen Robson is the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland’s national delegate for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress. He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh on June 9 2012 before heading to IEC 2012.