49th International Eucharistic Congress
Scroll down to the general links at
6/14 and 6/15/08 for links to the English and French pages of videos of
past events and other sources of general interest.
Sunday, 6/22/08:
Homily by Pope Benedict XVI:
The Holy Father appeared live via satellite on large video screens for the Statio Orbis Mass to bring the Congress to a conclusion. An English translation of the full text is available from Zenit.
He encouraged people to witness before all humans, saying that the Eucharist does not remove us from our contemporaries. It calls us to involve ourselves to make the planet a better place. We need to constantly struggle so that all people will be respected from conception to natural death, that societies welcome the poorest, that all people be able to feed themselves, that peace and justice exist in all continents.
He invited everyone to further explore the Eucharist by studying the Vatican II Council's Sacrosanctum Concilium, and called for a renewal of Eucharistic catechesis. The liturgy does not belong to us, he said, but to the Church. We must never forget that the Church is built around Christ, and that the Eucharist is a sacrament of the Church’s unity.
In the Eucharist, Christ’s sacrifice is constantly renewed and Pentecost is constantly renewed. Sunday is the day we honor Christ and get the strength to treat each day as the gift of God. Like the saints, he said, be not afraid. God is accompanying and protecting us. Offer each day to the glory of God our Father. No other action in the Church has the same efficacy as the Eucharist. It is a heavenly liturgy, an anticipation of the banquet of the eternal kingdom, announcing the death and resurrection of Christ until he comes.
At the conclusion of his homily, the Holy Father announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress will be in 2012 in Dublin, Ireland.
Zenit has an article about the homily.
What Is a "Statio Orbis" Mass?
The term "Statio Orbis" came into being at the concluding celebration of the 37th Eucharistic Congress held in Munich 1960. Since then, the concluding celebration of Eucharistic Congresses has had particular Churches from various parts of the world join in communion with the Pope or one of his Legates, called a "Statio Orbis" Mass.
The word "Statio" means "station," as in "station days" in Tertullian's De Oratione. Because Wednesday and Friday, as "station days," were characterized by watchings and processions, when the faithful remained standing, the word "statio" eventually came to mean the place where the faithful walked in procession and stood for the celebration of the liturgy. The churches to which they went came to be known as "stationes" and the route to them became known as the "statio ad" (station to, meaning the procession route to) that place. Station days of that kind were once held in Rome, Constantinople and Jerusalem. Records that remain today give us the most information about such processions in Rome. Going to the "statio" was a major ceremony at one time, in which people carried all of the papal vessels used for the celebration of the Eucharist to a pilgrimage site or station church. The concept may be somewhat familiar today from the station churches of Rome during Lent (See the 2008 list of station churches as an example).
The word "Orbis" means "circle," "ring" or "orb." In ancient Latin documents, it referred to the world. In the phrase "statio orbis," it refers to the global nature of the gathering for the papal closing Mass of each Congress.
There is more information in an interview with Archbishop Piero Marini in the EWTN library, which specifically mentions the Statio Orbis Masses, and an article in the Catholic Encyclopedia, which talks about the history of station days and the word "statio". Catholic Culture also has an article about the past and present practice of station churches.
Saturday, 6/21/08:
Address by Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, Cameroon:
Today's theme is being witnesses to the Eucharist in the heart of the world. Cardinal Tumi's catechesis as presented differed somewhat from the written catechesis available online here:
http://www.cei2008.ca/doc/catechesetumisamedi.pdf
The following summary is taken partly from each because I missed the first part of the TV broadcast, which begins at 6:05 a.m. Pacific Time and could only summarize the first half from the written text.
Cardinal Tumi said that we are gathered to reflect upon the Eucharist, but more to celebrate it. Jesus did not give us the sacrament to contemplate it, but rather to take and eat, to take and drink.
To be witnesses to the Eucharist, we must first of all be witnesses to the Resurrection throughout the world. And whoever speaks of the Resurrection speaks of a way of life that is radically different from the former way of life. St. Paul said "If Christ is not Resurrected, our faith is in vain." (I Cor. 15:14-19). The Church today has nothing else to say, in Douala, in Montréal, in Paris, in Washington. The Resurrection is the meaning of life for each person, married or single, as a choice to make, a direction to take.
We must be transformed by the Eucharist. As a Christian, I must love the other person in order to be in the image of our Master, who loved even though they killed Him. In a noble sense, this person becomes dangerous, because this person could love to the end, as Jesus loved us to the point of giving up His life for us.
In that respect, the Eucharistic person is a dangerous person, burning from the fire of the Spirit, and whose only purpose is to extend that fire and to become fire for others. This person is a person of daring, of confrontation, of radicalism, and of the absolute.
If love becomes humanity’s soul, there would be no wars, no terrorism, no political leaders who want to remain in leadership at all cost. A person of the Eucharist disturbs everybody, might even give them the feeling of a bad conscience. That is our vocation so that the other person knows how to distinguish bad from good.
We must be Christian on a daily basis. We cannot be witnesses in the heart of the world without carrying within us an anguish for the poor, for those who are no well loved, without being open to all of love, thinking of each human being as Christ is in each person and each person is in Christ.
Marguerite Barankitse from Maison Shalom in Burundi gave her testimony. She is a Tutsi. She was tied up and saw other people assassinated, and she was asked to betray them. She would not do so. She said that before she is a Tutsi, she is a Christian. She took 25 children and fled with the idea that God is God, and that all the rest has no importance. In Shalom House, she put Tutsi and Hutu children together, as well as Congolese, and told them that their ethnic origin is Shalom. The press called her “a holy woman in hell.” People thought she was crazy, but Jesus was the first crazy one. Will we be crazy with the Eucharist? Will we dare to stop closing in among ourselves, and try to describe the Eucharist, not in writing, but rather we are the Eucharist. We are to go out and be Christ’s witnesses every day.
Francis Cardinal Arinze delivered the homily at Mass. Zenit has the text of the homily in English and an article about it.
He said that Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loves us. Jesus tells us how to love in that He became obedient unto death on a cross. St. Paul describes love in I Cor. 13:1-7.
He said that the Eucharistic celebration is not only a mystery to be believed and celebrated, but also a mystery to be lived. We are sent out to show love to our brothers and sisters who are in need, to console those who are hurting, and to lead the spiritually hungry to the Church and the Sacraments.
We must express Christ in the midst of the world, especially by promoting justice, peace, and harmony in society. The Church preaches mutual love and respect for human rights, including the right to life, honesty and solidarity.
We witness to Christ following the example of the saints. There is a universal call to holiness. Every Christian becomes holy according to that person's vocation and mission. He especially mentioned African saints because today is Africa day in the Congress. Those witnesses walked the 40 days and nights of their earthly lives in the strength of the Holy Eucharist, up to their meeting with the Lord in life eternal.
There was also a prayer vigil in the evening for the youth. The ECDQ Blogue (French) has an article about the vigil. Papal legate Jozef Cardinal Tomko gave a homily. The Holy Father addressed the youth by video during the vigil. Zenit has an article about the Pope's address to youth.
The written text of Cardinal Tomko's homily is available for download in French:
http://www.cei2008.ca/doc/samedihomelievigiletomko.pdf
Cardinal Tomko said that neither reason, nor human wisdom, scientific analysis, nor brilliant language would suffice to talk about the Eucharist. It is a great mystery of faith. Like Moses with the burning bush, we must take off our sandals, close our eyes, and listen to He who invented the Eucharist. We can understand a mystery of the faith only by means of a great faith!
He spoke about the 6th chapter of St. John's Gospel. He said it would be a great advantage to have a king who could solve the problem of hunger by multiplication of loaves! However, Jesus wanted to give them living bread. Jesus said that He was the living bread, and that one who eats His flesh would live forever. The Eucharist is not a thing; it is a living person: Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Tomko also spoke of the Last Supper. Jesus surprised His Disciples in saying, "This is my body broken for you." Jesus put His own body and blood in the place of the Passover lamb and asked them to "Do this in memory of me." The Eucharist is the center of the life of the Church, God with us, Emmanuel.
He mentioned opportunities provided by the Congress. Among these is the opportunity to learn how to adore Christ in the Eucharist. Like the peasant mentioned by St. Jean Vianney, he said, it is nothing special: "I look at Him, and He looks at me." Begin to look at God, and think about God looking at you. He also mentioned the opportunity to get to know others at the Congress. The Congress helps us to understand the Eucharist as a sacrifice and gift of bread broken for the life of the world. In the Eucharist, the Lord of life remains with us as "the gift of the Father for the life of the world." Cardinal Tomko concluded, "Lord, remain with us for night is falling!" (Luke 24:29).
Friday, 6/20/08:
Address by Cardinal Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, India:
Zenit has the full text of Cardinal Toppo's address, or you can download it from the Congress website here:
http://www.cei2008.ca/doc/catechesetoppo_en.pdf
Cardinal Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, India, provided the day's catechesis. The theme for Friday's events is the Eucharist and Missions. He mentioned the importance of the Eucharist in the lives of missionaries, including Bl. Teresa of Calcutta in India and Bl. Charles de Foucauld in northern Africa.
He discussed three characteristics of today’s world that impact mission: socio-economic disparity, religious pluralism, and the diversity of cultures. In global socio-economic disparity, in which two-thirds of the world's poorest people live in Asia (60% living on $2 a day or less), he spoke about a need for personal fulfillment and the realization of the values of justice and truth; a strongly felt need to build a more just order; and a great need for communion with fellow human beings. In a world of striking growth of the world's religions, he discussed a need for dialogue. Amid a diversity of cultures, the Church tries to eliminate discrimination. The Eucharistic experience enables the Church to see the presence of God, and facilitates the building of a community in which rivalry and discrimination has no place.
He said that the Early Church fathers placed great stress on communion and on its social dimension. The Vatican II Council taught the role of the Eucharistic celebration in building up community. The changes brought by Vatican II, he said, highlight how the Church’s mission is nurtured by the Eucharist. Christian mission consists in communicating God’s love to all peoples so that all can be gathered into one family, so that all can share in the life of God. Through it, Jesus continues his mission in the Church. He described the basic characteristics of the Christian missionary as, first and foremost, a witness of Christ, who has experienced what he proclaims. He said that the Eucharist is the source of this witnessing power, which makes us capable of proclaiming it, including the social dimension of that message.
José H. Prado Flores (known as "Pepe Prado"), Director/Founder of the School of Evangelization San Andres, gave the day's testimony on the topic of the Word of God. His website has information in Spanish about his work. I have not yet found a transcript of the text. The ECDQ Blogue has an article calling it captivating (French). Delivered without notes, his presentation impressed by the simplicity and conviction of his words. Comparing his conversion to the Emmaeus Road experience, he said that the Lord made his heart burn by the fire of His Word.
Also according to the ECDQ Blogue, in a surprise move at the end of today's Mass, Cardinal Ouellet called upon 130 young people who had served the Congress, asking if they wanted to act as missionaries of the Gospel after the Congress. He then addressed the entire assembly in Spanish, English and French, asking whether they would support the youth in that Eucharistic mission. All answered with enthusiastic support.
Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun, S.D.B., Bishop of Hong Kong, delivered the homily at the day's Mass. Some may remember that Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun wrote the meditations for this year's Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome. In his homily, Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun said that a truly Eucharistic Church is necessarily a missionary Church. The Eucharist is "of the faithful but for the world." He said the Eucharist builds the Church and reminds us of the universal salvation. It establishes the new and eternal covenant between God and the human family. He said that God has His ways to save everyone, but the most common way is that those who have received the faith should be the instruments of its transmission. He mentioned the recent tragedies in China and Myanmar, saying that Jesus was there in the darkness, pain and despair, with each of the victims and in them, making them worthy of completing what was lacking in His sufferings. In conclusion, he said that while we give faith for the gift of faith, we accept the invitation of the Lord to be messengers of His boundless love.
Thursday, 6/19/08:
Bishop Louis Antonio G. Tagle's Address:
Bishop Louis Antonio G. Tagle, Bishop of Imus, the Philippines, spoke at this morning's catechesis. The full text of his address can be found online at Zenit or downloaded in .pdf format from the official website in English at this link:
http://www.cei2008.ca/doc/catechesejeuditagle.pdf
Coletta has a photo of Bishop Tagle and links to more information about him at Immaculatae.
Bishop Tagle spoke about two elements of living the Eucharist, which he called "spiritual worship" and "authentic adoration." He spoke from the Epistle to the Hebrews in discussing Jesus' sacrifice of his body and blood as an act of worship in reverent submission to the Father, and as an act of solidarity with weak humanity in his priestly service. In baptism, he said, we share in Jesus' sacrifice of obedience to the Father in solidarity with sinners. The Church, he said, must constantly examine its fidelity to Jesus' sacrifice of obedience to God and compassion for the poor. He encouraged people to avoid the blindness caused by self-righteousness, spiritual pride and rigidity of mind.
Regarding adoration, Bishop Tagle said, "Worship is so intimately related to adoration that they could be considered as one." He also said, "Adoration connotes being present, resting, and beholding. In adoration, we are present to Jesus whose sacrifice is ever present to us. Abiding in him, we are assimilated more deeply into his self-giving." Speaking of the poor and the oppressed in many parts of the world, he said that he wished that Eucharistic adoration would "lead us to know Jesus more as the compassionate companion of many crucified peoples of today." Concluding, he said, "Let us adore him for ourselves, for the poor, for the earth, for the Church and for the life of the world."
Ms. Elizabeth Nguyen Thi Thu Hong gave the day's testimony. She is the youngest sister of the late Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân of Viet Nam. Arrested in 1975 after the Communist takeover of South Vietnam, he was imprisoned for 13 years, of which 9 years were spent in solitary confinement. After his release, he was expelled from Viet Nam in 1991. He was made a cardinal in 2001 and died of stomach cancer in 2002. On September 15, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI opened his cause for beatification. Zenit has the text of his sister's address (English).
Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, delivered the homily at Mass, which can be downloaded here:
http://www.cei2008.ca/doc/messejeudirigali_en.pdf
Cardinal Rigali said that in the Eucharist, we worship God in spirit and truth. He quoted St. John's Gospel 14:28,31 ("The world must know that I love the Father and do what the Father has commanded me. Come, then, let us be on our way"), and said that Jesus died motivated by great love for the Father. The Eucharist, he said, is above all the mystery of Christ's love for the Father. To understand the Eucharist proclaimed at the Last Supper and enacted in immolation at Calvary, we must go back to the Blessed Trinity. The Father's love in sending His Son to redeem the world explains much about the Eucharist. The Eucharist flows from the love of the Son of God for the Father, in response to the love of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Calvary is the Trinitarian response to sin. The Father's response of love is the Resurrection. The sacrifice of Christ's love becomes, by God's design in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the Church. We are sent out from the Eucharist to contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ, and we return in Eucharistic adoration. The Eucharist is the center of our life because Jesus is the center of our life. So, he said, Eucharistic adoration is a powerful incentive to service to those in need. In the Eucharist, we live Christ's life and fulfill His words to worship the Father "in spirit and in truth."
The Procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the Streets of Quebec City began at 7:00 p.m., broadcast live on ECDQ - French. The video is one of three videos of the procession available online.
Wednesday, 6/18/08:
Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Address:
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Primate of Argentina, spoke at this morning's catechesis. The full text of his address in Spanish can be downloaded in .pdf format from the official website at this link:
http://www.cei2008.ca/doc/catechesebergoglio.pdf
Wednesday's theme for all of the speakers is, "The Eucharist Builds up the Church, the Sacrament of Salvation." Archbishop Bergoglio drew from the writing of Pope John Paul II, emphasizing the role of Mary in the Eucharist. He spoke of mysteries of the New Covenant in the Eucharist. He particularly considered the mysteries of Mary as a model for the Church, at whose feet we should learn.
In discussing practical consequences, he encouraged people to pray for the grace of receiving the Eucharist as Mary received the Word, feeling that it is Our Lady who is entrusting the sacrament to us; to ask for the grace to anticipate the Eucharist, the grace of believing, placing all of our hope in the sign of salvation that we receive during the Eucharist to be able to conform our lives to what we have received. In Ecclesial life, he said, Mary and the Church are both transformed by the One who chose to dwell in them as the new wineskins. She is the first Eucharistic image. The Church is sanctified and sanctifying because of the covenant the Lord has made with her. Even if we break our covenant with the Lord at the individual level, the Church is the place where the covenant remains intact, and we can recover it through reconciliation. Any reform that we are trying to accomplish must be born out of contemplation of the love for the Church that maintains the covenant with her Lord. The assurance of the Church's sanctity is not a question of personal or social privilege, but it is ordained for service. The Eucharist is not one more gift among others, but the total gift of love. The mystery of the covenant that makes the whole Church holy is a mystery of service and a mystery of life.
There was no witness speaker today, as the Mass began earlier than usual as an Eastern Rite Mass. Archbishop Lawrence Huculac of Winnipeg for Ukrainian Catholics gave the homily. Zenit has a transcript (English). He said that "in this celebration of the Divine Liturgy we experience the great diversity that constitutes the People of God. But, as we heard in the letter to the Ephesians, we are united in one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all."
Vatican Radio has an audio interview with Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Archbishop of Quebec.
Tuesday, 6/17/08:
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin's address:
Cardinal Barbarin gave the day's catechesis. Zenit has an article in English about his address. Having not found an official English translation of his catechesis, I have translated it in order to provide the full text in English translation (link fixed from the original erroneous link). The French original text of Cardinal Barbarin's address is available on the Archdiocese of Lyon website.
Cardinal Barbarin is my favorite cardinal, now that Cardinal Ratzinger is the Pope. If you can read French, there is much from him on the Archdiocese of Lyon website.
He discussed the concept of "memory" involved when Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me," drawing from the Jewish concept of memory in the Old Testament and the Talmud.
He spoke of what a sacrifice is. It can entail both joy and suffering. Jesus offered himself because he chose to do so. This love offering has the distinctive quality of freedom.
He said that the concepts of communion, sacrifice and presence sum up our faith. It is Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. The Resurrection is the base of our assurance, which strikes the Apostles all through the Acts of the Apostles. We have the grace of faith that God’s mercy will always triumph, so we are ready to sacrifice everything to follow Christ.
He said that we are united to Christ’s sacrifice. Starting with the priest, when he pronounces the institution, he speaks in the words of Christ but he also offers his entire life. "This is my body broken for you." He is committed to celibacy, and it requires a lot of strength. He spoke of how those words are also felt by a married couple, a pregnant woman, young people who do not yet know their vocation, the disabled, widows and widowers, and the abandoned.
He also remembered the martyrs in Algeria, saying that such love can lead to an extreme. In his address as given, he also mentioned the Sudan, and those who carry a cardinal’s ring knowing that their lives everyday are a testimony given to Christ. In his prepared text, he spoke specifically about those martyred in Algeria in 1996.
He said that we can put the words of the Last Supper in parallel with Jesus' words when He said, "As the father sent me, so I send you." The verbs "to love" and "to send" are interchangeable in these sentences. What we learn from the life of Christ, from the Eucharist, is that our mission is to love.
Father Nicholas Buttet also gave an address today about his experience with Christ in the Eucharist. There is a post about it on the ECDQ TV blog (French). Father Buttet is founder of the Fraternité Eucharistein, a community based upon the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and adoration of the Holy Sacrament. He spoke, with some humor, about conversions, especially conversions of youth, related to the Eucharist. His community's message is one of encountering Christ in the Eucharist and in Eucharistic adoration. Zenit has an interview with Father Buttet. Part I was published today here (English translation).
Zenit has an article about the homily by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow, during this morning's Mass. Cardinal Dziwisz called upon people to dive deep into the mystery of the Eucharist. He spoke about the meaning of the Eucharist in "memory" of Christ and about the essential importance of humility before the Sacrament, saying, "Humility before the mystery means a simple and profound faith, knowing that for God the bread and wine, the Body and Blood are sufficient to ransom the whole world."
Monday, 6/16/08:
Archbishop Donald Wuerl's address:
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of the Diocese of Washington delivered this morning's address. A complete transcript of his address is available from Zenit.
Abp. Wuerl spoke of the Eucharist viewed in context of the Old Testament Passover. While the Last Supper follows on that sacred ritual, he said, we do not reflect on history in the Eucharist; we live history in the Eucharist. Here we encounter Christ in the moment of His death and resurrection.
He said that each of us brings our identity, our heritage, our commitment to Christ. In His Church, in the Spirit, united in the Eucharist, all of that becomes one. Each of us in our particularity speaks to a pluralism that is part of the human condition. Yet, to our faith, united as one people in one Church, we are His new people who have passed through the mystery of death and sin into the promise of liberation, freedom and new life because we see with the eyes of faith. Flowing from the Eucharist is not just the remembrance of his death and resurrection, but the strength to be a whole new creation, alive in the Holy Spirit, with a message to bring to the world, because this is Christ’s vision and we are His people. Each of us is called to be an active agent in spreading that faith. With joy and gratitude, we can proclaim Christ has died, Christ is risen , and Christ will come again.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, the Archbishop of Philadelphia also spoke today. Zenit has an article and also the full text of his address. Cardinal Rigali spoke about devotion to the Eucharist in North America.
Jean Vanier, founder of the L'Arche Communities, also spoke. L'Arche Communities work with mentally disabled people in 34 countries. La-Croix (French) has an article about the Congress that mentions Vanier's presentation. In his address, he encouraged people to discover God as a vulnerable God who knocks on the door of our hearts, not forcing the door open, but waiting. Nearing his 80th year, he said that he hoped people would live to be that old so that they would discover their need for others. Zenit - French has a transcript of his testimony (French).
Sunday, 6/15/08:
Here is a video of Jozef Cardinal Tomko's homily at the Opening Mass:
Zenit has an article about Cardinal Tomko's homily.
Here are a few quick links to watch online:
EWTN's special broadcast schedule includes live and re-broadcasts of key events. Watch or listen live online.
ECDQ TV Live Online: This is the English-language online live broadcast of Canadian Catholic ECDQ TV. This page is providing an English translation for the French speakers.
ECDQ Broadcast Schedule for the Congress. The morning addresses may be of particular interest, with exceptional speakers. Those will be at 9:05 a.m. each morning Eastern Time, 6:05 a.m. Pacific Time. The scheduled speakers are:
Monday: Archbishop Donald William Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, U.S.
Tuesday: Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, Primate of the Gauls, France.
Wednesday: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, primate of Argentina.
Thursday: Bishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Bishop of Imus, the Philippines.
Friday: Cardinal Télésphore Placidus Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, India.
Saturday: Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Archbishop of Douala, Camaroon.
The Eucharist will be broadcast Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time. On Wednesday, the Eucharist will be at 10:30 a.m. Eastern, 7:30 a.m. Pacific, and will be the Eastern rite. On Thursday, June 19, the 11:00 a.m. time will go to a penitential rite and the sacrament of reconciliation. Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, there will be a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Quebec City.
Next Sunday's Mass, June 22, will be the Statio Orbis Mass. The Holy Father will deliver the homily by video connection.
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Posted 6/14/08:
The 49th International Eucharistic Congress will begin tomorrow in Quebec. It will run from June 15 to 22. The official website has the program for the week, a video page in English, and another video page in French. They do not have all of the same videos. Some of the videos available include the entire presentation made by some of the speakers, as well as interviews with them that were not broadcast on TV.
An English language news page and "The Ark" blog will help to keep people updated. Also see Catholic Canada.
The French language blog "le blog de l'arche" has been updated much more recently. ECDQ TV also has a French-language blog which will probably have updates about the Congress. ECDQ also has pages of photo albums online.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley has photos and comments about his experience at the Congress at Cardinal Sean's Blog. His address at the pre-congress Eucharistic Symposium was published in the Boston Pilot.
Fr. Gilles Suprenant, a priest from Montréal, is attending the Congress, and he is blogging his experience in English at "In the Breaking of the Bread" (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 - Part 1, Day 5 - Part 2, and days 6 & 7).
Rocco Palma at Whispers in the Loggia has had posts including this on day 5 and The Universal Station (about the closing Mass).
ECDQ (French Canadian Catholic TV) will have online special broadcasts. To watch the special broadcasts of the congress live online on ECDQ, go here. There is a special broadcast schedule page, which I think will have links to videos on demand from the Congress the day after each live broadcast.
EWTN will broadcast key events of the Congress (see EWTN's schedule of special broadcasts). Watch EWTN live online.
Other key websites include those of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congress and The Real Presence Association.
On 7/3/08, Zenit had an article about Cardinal Ouellet's assessment of the success of the Congress. That article also contains some statistics about attendance. More than 11,000 people registered as pilgrims. The average daily attendance was 12,500 people, of whom 68% were Canadian. About 20,000 people visited the Congress website each day.
An estimated 60,000 people attended the statio orbis Mass on the last day of the Congress, according to reports including that of Whispers in the Loggia.
Here are a few key Vatican documents on the Eucharist:
Foundational Document for the 49th Eucharistic Congress ("The Eucharist: God's Gift for the Life of the Word" by the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congress)
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation: Sacramentum Caritatis by Pope Benedict XVI
Encyclical: Ecclesia de Eucharistia by Pope John Paul II.
Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. See especially Chapter II ("The Most Sacred Mystery of the Eucharist").
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