Hungary to host International Eucharistic Congress in 2020 – Photos

Cebu, 2016. január 31. Az Esztergom-Budapesti Fõegyházmegye által közreadott képen a magyar delegáció tagjai ünnepelnek 2016. január 31-én a Fülöp-szigeteki Cebuban az 51. eucharisztikus világkongresszust lezáró szentmisén, ahol Ferenc pápa videoüzenetben jelentette be, hogy Magyarországon rendezik meg a következõ eucharisztikus világkongresszust 2020-ban. Jobbról Soltész Miklós, az Emberi Erõforrások Minisztériumának egyházi, nemzetiségi és civil kapcsolatokért felelõs államtitkára. MTI Fotó: Esztergom-Budapesti Fõegyházmegye

Hungary will host the next International Eucharistic Congress scheduled for 2020, Pope Francis said in a video message sent to the holy mass concluding the 51st congress in Cebu, Philippines.

Hungary will organise the event for the second time. The first occasion, the 34th congress held in 1938, ended with a holy mass that attracted half a million believers to Heroes’ Squares in Budapest.

The Hungarian delegation to the Cebu congress was led by Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest.

Cardinal Erdo told public television news channel M1 by telephone on Sunday that Budapest’s hosting the congress was of great significance for the Hungarian Catholic Church. He said that the Budapest congress would be “an introduction before the world, and not only to the global church but to the civil world, too”.

Miklos Soltesz, state secretary for ties with church, minority and civil society, told M1 that Hungary’s task would be to accommodate as many people from as many countries with as much love as possible.

Adam Mirkoczki, the spokesman for radical nationalist party Jobbik, said in a statement sent to MTI that the news of Budapest hosting the congress brought great joy. He expressed hope that the congress would also bring a visit to Hungary by the Pope.