Fr. Łukasz Bankowski – Vatican
The Eucharist as a Testimony of God’s Presence
During today’s general audience, the Holy Father addressed Polish pilgrims, referring to tomorrow’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Pope encouraged the faithful to publicly profess their faith by participating in Eucharistic processions, emphasizing that they are a sign of God’s presence among His people and a testimony to the contemporary world.
Here is the full text of the papal greeting:
“I cordially greet the Poles! Starting from the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and in the following days, you will pay special homage to Christ present in the Eucharist. May participation in Eucharistic processions – especially by families, children, and young people – be a courageous testimony of faith and remind everyone that God is present among His people and accompanies them in daily life. I bless you all!”
Corpus Christi celebrated on different dates
In Poland, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated on the Thursday after the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. In many countries around the world, especially where it is not a public holiday, the celebrations have been moved to the nearest Sunday. This is the case, among others, in Spain, where the Holy Father, during his first pilgrimage to that country, will lead a Eucharistic procession in Madrid.
Polish accents in St. Peter’s Square
The community of first communion children “Baranki” from Jelenia Góra participated in the general audience. Individual pilgrims from Poland and Poles living abroad, who came to Rome to meet the Holy Father and receive his blessing, were also present.
