Madagascar’s National Eucharistic Congress “will give us the strength to live our faith”: Cardinal

The Eucharistic Congress, he said, is also to promote perpetual Eucharistic adoration, a practice increasingly observed in many Catholic Parishes across Africa and its Islands, he said.

“Worshiping the Eucharist requires a deep faith,” Cardinal Tsarahazana noted, adding that Eucharistic adoration “strengthens our belief in Jesus Christ and encourages us to live lives of integrity, free from corruption and harmful habits.”

The Cardinal who has been at the helm of Toamasina Archdiocese since 2010 further said, “The fruit of our worship should be a transformation in our behaviour and a renewed commitment to building a just society.”

“We worship, we pray, but our lives need to change. Madagascar needs to progress; we need to change our bad habits and corruption, and we need to stop it,” he said.

Organized under the theme, “Fraternity to Heal the World: You are all brothers and sisters (Mt 23:8),” the August 23-25 Eucharistic Congress aimed to restore the value of fraternity among the people of God in the Indian Ocean Island nation.  

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In the August 24 interview with ACI Africa, Cardinal Tsarahazana emphasized the importance of respect and love for one another.

“We should not let ourselves be led astray by the world's leaders, who sometimes stray from the Gospel. We need to live the Gospel. We also need to love our Church and pray for the Church, so that it becomes truly faithful to the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. 

The Catholic Church leader added, “We need to respect everyone; we need to respect each other; we can give ideas, even contrary ideas, but we must always respect each other. We are a Catholic, apostolic, universal Church, so we need to safeguard that.”

Weighing in on the challenges the Malagasy face, including poverty and social division, the Cardinal emphasized the need for Church leaders to spearhead the fostering of fraternity and social justice.

“Fraternity is a challenge, but with faith, everything is possible. We must do what we can, where we are, and trust the Lord to do the rest,” Cardinal Tsarahazana said.

He added, “We live in a society where jealousy, resentment, and division are all too common. But the Eucharist calls us to something higher – to a true sense of fraternity that transcends our differences and unites us in Christ.”

“We must not lose hope. Even in the face of great challenges, our faith in the Eucharist gives us the strength to persevere. If we truly believe in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, then we must also believe in the possibility of transforming our society,” the Cardinal said.

Earlier, ahead of the August 23-25 Eucharistic Congress, KEN 2024, Pope Francis extended his prayers and fraternal greetings to all the participants.

“May this Eucharistic Congress help each and every one of you to foster feelings of charity and solidarity towards everyone, and especially towards those in difficulty, for whom the path of life becomes more difficult every day,” Pope Francis said in his message read out during the Friday, August 23 opening Mass of KEN 2024. 

On his part, the Local Ordinary of Antsiranana, Archbishop Benjamin Marc Balthason Ramaroson underscored the need for spiritual renewal and highlighted the role of the Eucharistic Congress in achieving fraternity in Madagascar as important.

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Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.