2015, December 8. 2016 51st International Eucharistic Congress
Litho Offset, Amstar Company, Inc.,
Perf 14
Singles, Sheets of 40; Souvenir Sheets
of One
15p Logo of the 51st International
Eucharistic Congress (104,000)
40p Souvenir Sheets of One
(6,000)
Layout Artist: Victorino Z. Serevo
First Day Covers: Manila & Cebu City
2016 51st International Eucharistic
Congress, January 25 - 31, Cebu City
A Eucharistic Congress is an international gathering of people aimed
at promoting an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in
the life and mission of the Catholic Church. The Roman Ritual De
Sacra Communione et de Cultu Mysterii Eucharistici extra Missam
defines the Congress as “a pause for commitment and prayer to which
a particular Church invites the universal Church”. During this time
“the celebration of the Eucharist becomes the center and vortex of
all forms of piety, of theological and pastoral reflections, of
social commitment”.
Pope Francis has approved the date and theme of the 51st
International Eucharistic Congress which will take place in Cebu,
Philippines in 2016. The Pontifical Commission for the International
Eucharistic Congresses stated that they were informed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, on the Holy Father’s
approval.
The international event will be held on January
25th-31st under the theme “Christ in you, our hope of glory” which
is taken from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians. The choice
of the Philippines as the next venue for the congress was announced
by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during a video message at the
conclusion of the previous Eucharistic Congress held in Dublin in
June 2012.
“I would like to invite you to join me in praying
for God’s blessing upon the next International Eucharistic Congress,
which will take place in 2016 in the city of Cebu!” Benedict XVI
said in the video message.
“To the people of the Philippines
I send warm greetings and an assurance of my closeness in prayer
during the period of preparation for this great ecclesial gathering.
I am confident that it will bring lasting spiritual renewal not only
to them but to all the participants from across the globe.”
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines expressed their
desire that the upcoming congress will deepen Eucharistic devotion
in the country as well as prepare for the 500th Anniversary of the
evangelization in the Philippines.
Located in the heart of
the Philippine archipelago, Cebu was discovered by Ferdinand
Megellan in 1521 and was received by the indigenous king, Humabon,
who shortly after converted to Christianity along with his queen,
Juana, and 400 of his subjects. To commemorate the conversion,
Magellan gave the queen a statue of the child Jesus (Santo Niño) as
well as erecting a cross at the place where they converted.
Filippinos commemorate the feast of the Santo Niño on the third week
in January.
“The celebration of the 51st International
Eucharistic Congress in this Country, the only one with a Catholic
majority in Asian continent, is an important challenge to strengthen
the missionary/evangelizing perspective as well as for identifying
new ways in celebrating the Congresses themselves,” stated a
communique by the Pontifical Commission for International
Eucharistic Congresses.
The Pontifical Commission also stated
that the theme of the congress wishes to underline the “inherent
eschatological tension in the Eucharist offers an impulse in the
historical path of Christians.”
Within the theme of hope, the
announcement of the gift of God to the young, of which Asia is very
rich, will be recovered as well as the commitment to the ranks of
the poor of the continent,” the commission stated.
http://icfdeafservice.org/eucharistic-congress-2016