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INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) -- The 10th National Eucharistic Congress will culminate with a Mass and commissioning on July 21, the event's final day. Celebrating that Mass will be Pope Francis' special envoy to the congress, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a native of the Philippines and pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization's Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.
OSV News spoke earlier this week with Cardinal Tagle in an exclusive interview, which has been edited for clarity and length.
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OSV News: What is the message that Pope Francis wishes to convey to those participating at the congress?
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle: He had many, many messages, but I think we can safely summarize them into two.
The first is to recover the sense of amazement, wonder and awe at the gift of the presence of the Lord in our midst through his word, especially through the Eucharist and in the church.
But since this is a Eucharistic congress, the awe and wonder in beholding Jesus in the Eucharist, the celebration of the Mass, adoration, Pope Francis also (notes) that our contemporary culture is losing this sense of silence and adoration, which is always connected with the sense of wonder.
And I think that's a good reminder, not just for Eucharistic devotion, but even for daily life, because we're always rushing from one activity to another. … There's no more time to pause, to behold, and to really appreciate what is unfolding before us.
And secondly, the Holy Father is also reminding all of us, especially the delegates to the congress, that our Eucharistic spirituality is related to evangelization, to mission. What you have experienced, what you have heard, what you have, the beauty that you have seen -- go and share, go and share.
So the missionary aspect also of this congress is very much in the mind and heart of Pope Francis.
OSV News: How can we enkindle devotion to the Eucharist in a way that inspires Catholics to go out and do that evangelization and carry out the works of the Gospel?
Cardinal Tagle: I think part of it is formation, as we provide biblical and catechetical teaching to our faithful, beginning with the children in preparation for confirmation, first Communion.
We hope that the Eucharistic experience (would) be always connected with the sending of a disciple to share the Good News.
We cannot have a good experience and keep it to ourselves. No, that's selfishness. That's not discipleship.
If I have been touched by the Lord in the Eucharist who fulfills his promise -- "I will be with you to the end of the ages" -- that's good news, not only for me, but for many people who are looking for an anchor in life, and who are misled because they think that fame, money, power will be with them to the end of time and will give them the security that they are looking for.
But no, we have the secret, and we hope that this is instilled in all of our Catholics, our faithful, what Eucharistic devotion really leads to.
The end of the liturgy is the sending: "Go and proclaim the Good News." The Good News is what we just have celebrated in action, as a community. Now go, go, go and share it.
We also need to learn from the witness of the great saints and martyrs. The great saints and martyrs were all devoted to the Eucharist … (as seen in) how they prayed long, and how they searched for communities -- even in mission areas where … they would walk, walk, walk to find a place where they could celebrate the Eucharist.
Their prayer life, their encounter with the Lord drove them, (and) gave them the energy to serve the poor, to establish new missions and new societies of apostolic life.
So the witness of these great saints and martyrs, for me, is an inspiration for us in this type of formation, in inspiring Catholics to be Eucharistic people, yet at the same time also evangelizers.
OSV News: What are some ways you have seen that are effective in meeting the challenges of fostering Eucharistic devotion?
Cardinal Tagle: One of the biggest challenges (are) some cultural or philosophical currents that have become like a mindset, where any religion, not just Christianity, is put on the sidelines. (Religion) is (seen as) a personal matter, an individual matter, and you don't meddle with it. And that weakens the drive of people to really publicly commit themselves (to faith), especially the young.
Peer pressure is quite important. … So if they know a certain behavior would look funny to (others), then they refrain from doing it or they hide it.
The other challenge is that there seems to be a growing tendency to say that freedom means allowing just anything -- to go without any commitment, and then just wait for a time when you are ready for commitment.
But it is an open field without any guidance. You wonder how people would reach that point of decision with commitment, when all through the process they have not been presented with anything, with (actually) just nothing (to inspire commitment). … And if you show that you have committed yourself, or you are on the way to a commitment, then (others) look at you as though something is wrong with you.
This (tendency) does not impact only the Eucharistic life, but all other aspects of church life, and the Eucharist is always connected to all of those aspects of life.
Now, these are just a few challenges. … But they can also be opportunities, and here I think the leaders of the church, families, especially families, catechists, religious orders, must study very well what these currents are, what these mentalities are, and go deeper, because sometimes these mentalities are a cry for help, actually. (Such people) may sound (quite) sure of themselves … but for me, they are hiding a soft spot, a need.
So maybe through our common study and discernment, we could go to that (need) and let our evangelization, let our Eucharistic practice hit that (soft) spot, you know, and they will discover that what we have to offer, or (actually) what Jesus offers, is really not offensive to their freedom and to their search for meaning. It's a gentle, gentle, gentle grace and gift, but it must be profound.
What I'm afraid of is that sometimes we critique, and rightly so, some of these currents -- but maybe the critique must go deeper, into more of a compassionate reading of these currents, and to say, "Is there not something that you are looking for?"
And I think by doing so, we will also be surprised at how God could move even in and through those seemingly contrary persons and movements.
- - - Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @GinaJesseReina.