In these days, the Diocese of Antsiranana hosted the third National Eucharistic Congress of Madagascar, held in the city in the north of the island.

The opening ceremony was attended, among others, by all the bishops of Madagascar and the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina along with his spouse.

For the occasion, Pope Francis sent a special letter in which he underlined the purpose of the Eucharist in the mission and life of the Church, reiterating the importance of Eucharistic adoration (see Fides 23/8/2024).

For his part, the Archbishop of Antsiranana, Benjamin Marc Balthason Ramaroson, stressed two points: first of all, the Eucharist presupposes gratitude. In a context of extreme poverty like that of Madagascar, talking about free donation sounds like a dream! But Jesus teaches us to give even the ultimate gift of the self; the other focus was on the importance of sacrifice, because the Eucharist is a sacrifice.

This Congress - which this year coincided with the celebration of the centenary of the "Eucharistic Movement of Youth" - was an important moment of formation not only for the 30,000 pilgrims who arrived on the spot, but also for the entire Catholic world of Madagascar thanks to the catecheses and meditations transmitted through social networks and by the Catholic radio. (Fides News Agency 26/8/2024)