Cebu, the Philippines - The 51st International Eucharistic Congress concluded with a mission mandate from Pope Francis: “go and change the world!” In a 12-minute pre-taped video message he thanked the organizers and commissioned the 73-nation participants to be missionaries today.
It was also a challenge entrusted to about a million crowd of Filipinos who flocked to the Statio Orbis Mass officiated by Salesian Papal Legate His Eminence Charles Maung Cardinal Bo, DD. The whole 8-day event had been very “salesian” since it opened on the feast of St. Francis de Sales on January 24 and ended on the feast of St. John Bosco on January 31, 2016.
Prior to this concluding event, Cardinal Bo presided a smaller gathering of the Salesian Family at Don Bosco Formation Center in Lawaan, Talisay City. Some Salesian bishops and confreres from the FIN Province also came. Security was tight since the Papal Legate represented the Holy Father as Head of State. Yet the family celebration was solemn and smooth.
In his homily, Cardinal Bo shared some snippet of his life. He said that although he came from the periphery of peripheries, he felt honored because Pope Francis appointed him as his representative. He also drew some parallelism of his life and Don Bosco’s experience since he too was orphaned at two years old. He encouraged everyone to be like Don Bosco, our father and teacher, who was a great lover of Jesus in the Eucharist.
This simple Salesian Cardinal from Myanmar showed the Filipinos the apostolic heart of Pope Francis. As part of his itinerary, he chose to visit two important sectors in Philippine society who are at the periphery: the prisoners and the poor youth. He extended the Pope’s presence by visiting a local detention center that housed more than 800 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Jail. After his mass for them, he interacted among the prisoners and offered them encouraging words. In response, the now-famous dancing inmates whose performance went viral since 2007 gave a 10-minute performance clad in their signature orange uniform, red sneakers and white gloves.
He also visited the Don Bosco Youth Center located in Pasil, one of the poorest communities of Cebu City stricken with problems of criminality and illegal drugs. The salesians had been working here since 1976. This center is a refuge for poor youth from broken families. In his message to the 120 youth leaders of DBYC, the Papal Envoy stressed that “poverty is not a hindrance to greatness… instead they must get up and work hard to become great for others.”
The presence of Cardinal Bo and other high-caliber salesian speakers at the 51st IEC during the salesian month of January were powerful reminders for the FIS Province to work with more apostolic heart for poor youth who are in need of God’s mercy and compassion.
