In his message that was delivered by the Apostolic Nuncio in Madagascar, Archbishop Tomasz Grysa, the Holy Father extended his prayers and fraternal greetings to all the participants.
“May this Eucharistic Congress help each and every one of you to foster feelings of charity and solidarity towards everyone, and especially towards those in difficulty, for whom the path of life becomes more difficult every day,” Pope Francis said in his message read out during the Friday, August 23 opening Mass of the Eucharistic Congress.
He reiterated his desire that the August 23-25 National Eucharist Congress inspires acts of charity and solidarity, particularly towards the “many people” facing daily challenges. The Holy Father said, “There are many people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future. Bring the Lord’s hope to them; be witnesses of His compassion and merciful love.”
He went on to highlight the importance of the spiritual initiative as an opportunity to return to the essentials of faith, particularly through Eucharistic adoration and a renewed focus on the person of Jesus Christ.
“I encourage this initiative, which aims to bring the sons and daughters of your Christian communities back to basics. It is a process that helps each of you to grow into the Christian you are called increasingly to become,” the Holy Father said in his message addressed to the President of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar (CEM), Bishop Marie Fabien Raharilamboniaina.
Pope Francis also linked the Congress to the Universal Church's preparation for the multi-year ongoing Synod on Synodality, which Pope Francis extended to 2024, with the first phase, 4-29 October 2023, having concluded with a 42-page summary report and the second session scheduled for 2-29 October 2024 in Rome.
He encouraged participants in the Eucharistic Congress to deepen their encounters with the Lord and with one another.
“Your meeting acquires particular importance as we prepare for the closing of the Synod on synodality. May it enable you to rediscover the importance of encounter, of prayer, and of engaging with others and for others, following Jesus in the Eucharist,” the Holy Father said.
He continued, “Once you have encountered Christ in adoration, once you have touched and received Him in the Eucharistic celebration, you can no longer keep Him for yourself, but become a missionary of His love for others.”
The Eucharist, he went on to say, “impels us to a strong and committed love of neighbour. For we cannot truly understand or live the meaning of the Eucharist if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are poor, suffering, weary or who may have gone astray in life.”
At a time when faith in the Lord’s real presence is “a great challenge”, the Holy Father noted, members of the Eucharistic Youth Movement in Madagascar, who are celebrating their centenary need “to help your brothers and sisters to experience Jesus in the Eucharist.”
“Help them also to make their own lives an offering to God, united to that of Jesus on the altar, so that He may be better known, loved and served,” he added.
The Holy Father implored, “I wish you a fruitful Congress. I entrust each one of you to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary. May she intercede for you so that you may deepen your relationship with Christ every day. I impart to you my Blessing and I ask you, please, to continue to pray for me.”
Organized under the theme, “Fraternity to Heal the World: You are all brothers and sisters (Mt 23:8),” the August 23-25 Eucharistic Congress aims to restore the value of fraternity among the people of God in the Indian Ocean Island nation.