PAPAL LETTER TO PERU'S EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 4, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to the participants in Peru's National Eucharistic Congress, held in Lima from August 30 to September 3. The Letter, dated August 8 and written in Spanish, was read at yesterday's closing ceremonies by Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop of Boston and the Pope's special envoy.

The Holy Father said that "sincerely approaching the Eucharist will be the most solid pillar for a renewed stimulus to faith in this country and a vigorous rebirth of hope, during moments in which there are difficulties which can weaken its vitality."

"The Christian community joins around the Eucharist," he continued, "to sacramentally renew the sacrifice of Christ and thus to fill with dynamism, with the efficacy of grace, all members of His mystical body."

In celebrating the Eucharist," said the Letter, "the Christian community unites liturgy and charity, the commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ and the commitment to imitate His limitless love. ... In the sacramental Jesus we receive ... the vigor to bring the Gospel to every corner of the earth and the tenacity that is necessary to build, day by day, notwithstanding difficulties, the civilization of love."

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