About 12,000 delegates are expected to attend the International Eucharistic Congress 2016 (IEC 2016) in Cebu City this weekend, an announcement posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website said.
The IEC is a venue for local delegates and those coming from at least 71 countries to discuss current church issues, problems and challenges regarding the sacrament of the Eucharist.
The theme is “Christ in you, our hope of glory,” with emphasis on the Eucharist, as source and goal of the Church’s mission. This year’s theme is lifted from the Bible, the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians, which is meant to bring to fuller light the bond among the Eucharist, Mission, and Christian Hope, both in time and eternity.
Among the activities scheduled for the Congress include the Theological Symposium held at the Cebu Doctors’ University that started last Wednesday and will last until Friday.
The topics and speakers are: The Christian Virtue of Hope by Fr. Timothy Radcliffe OP, The Gospel of John and the Eucharist by Fr. Francis Moloney SDB, Liturgy and Inculturation with Fr. Mark Francis CSV.
The other speakers are: Bishop Piero Mariniwho will talk on A History of the Novus Ordo; Fr. Thomas Rosica who will discuss Evangelizing a Secular World and Dr. Josefina Manabat who will talk about Catechesis on the Sunday Eucharist.
The Congress proper will begin on January 24, Sunday with a Eucharistic celebration that would be held at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City.
Among the speakers during the five-day Congress are Manila Archbishop Luis antonio Tagle, who will talk about the Eucharist and the Dialogue with Cultures and New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan