Catholics of Taiwan are preparing their fifth National Eucharistic Congress, which will be held on October 5. The significant event comes on the heels of a number of Eucharistic Congresses that have been held around the world in 2024, including the United States and Tanzania, with the International Eucharistic Congress having been held in Ecuador.
Fides reports that Pope Francis has appointed His Eminence Cardinal John Tong Hon, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, as his special envoy to the Congress. Cardinal Hon, 85, will preside over the concluding celebration of the Fifth Eucharistic Congress of Taiwan, scheduled to take place at the Exhibition Center of the diocese of Kaohsiung, a venue that can hold an estimated 4,000 people. from October 5-8, 2024.
Born to a non-Catholic family and with a childhood touched by war, Cardinal Hon entered the seminary right after high school and was ordained in 1966. His distinguished history of service includes his role as President Delegate of the 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2012 and participation in the 3rd Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2014.
According to Radio Veritas Asia. the theme of Taiwan’s National Eucharistic Congress is “Fraternity Heals All,” which is the same as the International Eucharistic Congress in Ecuador.
It will emphasize Taiwan’s Diocesan Year of the Eucharist, a year-long celebration that began last year and will continue until November 2024.
In honor of the Eucharistic Year, the Catholic Church in Taiwan has designated four pilgrimage churches where there is the possibility to receive a plenary indulgence by visiting before the Year of the Eucharist ends. One of these is the archdiocese’s own Holy Rosary Cathedral in Kaohsiung City, which will be in the vicinity of the Congress.
