Cardinal Péter Erdő, Head of the Hungarian Catholic Church, said the International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Budapest this September is a symbol of life after the pandemic.
After discussing Pope Francis’s participation in the Congress with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in the Vatican, Cardinal Erdő told MTI that his talks had focused on specific organizational matters concerning the upcoming Congress. While too early to discuss the event’s finishing touches, plans are under way, he sad, adding that a Vatican delegation inspected the Budapest venue of the Congress last week.
“What’s certain is that Pope Francis has an invitation to the Sept. 12 closing mass,” Cardinal Erdő said, noting that this International Eucharistic Congress closing mass will be the first in 20 years to be attended by the pontiff. Pope Francis’s Budapest visit will also involve meetings with the Congress’s participants.
Cardinal Erdő said Statio Orbis, the mass closing the Congress, will be celebrated by Pope Francis at Heroes’ Square on Sept. 12, adding that the pontiff’s meeting with the faithful may take place in the Museum of Fine Arts or the Budapest Hall of Art. The Congress to be held from Sept. 5 to 12 is also expected to be attended by Greek and Eastern Catholic bishops, Orthodox and Protestant guests as well as representatives of the Jewish community and civil society.