The Eucharist and Freedom: Recalling the Impact of the Magisterium of Pope John Paul II at the International Eucharistic Congress at Wrocław (1997)

Abstract

The article treats the lasting relevance of the Magisterium of Blessed John Paul II during the Forty-sixth International Eucharistic Congress, held in the important Polish city of Wrocław, in 1997. The article highlights the originality of the theme of the Congress, namely, the important relationship binding together the celebration/adoration of the Eucharist and human freedom, while making appropriate cross-references to the same topic in other documents by the Slav Pope. Eucharistic orthopraxis is not only related to disinterested service in favour of one’s neighbour in commendable actions of diakonia, but also to the quest for freedom in the context of the respect of civil and social liberties and the exercise of religious freedom.