“Take every measure of precaution very seriously, we are responsible for each other, and for our own selves, too,” said Bishop Gábor Mohos, head of the secretariat of the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), who is fighting the coronavirus himself.
The IEC Secretariat’s staff pray for all those sick, those close to them, as well as for health service workers.
After more than eighty years it is Hungary again that has the privilege to host the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) – this sentence has lost nothing of its truth to this day. All that has changed is that given the world pandemic crises and the consequences that of, Pope Frances had decided this spring, in consultation with the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses and the Hungarian organizers of the Catholic World Meeting, to postpone the event – originally scheduled for 2020 September – by one year.
All along the history of the Eucharistic Congresses since 1881, a forced break was only due to the First and the Second World Wars, while after the latter one no Catholic World Meeting of such was organized until 1952. Now, this is the very first time that a pandemic interfered and blocked the events planned. Then, in May, upon the proposal of Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary, the Holy See approved the new date: the Catholic World Event, hosted by Budapest, Hungary is to be held from September 5-12, 2021.
Following is Bishop Gábor Mohos’s testimony of his illness:
6 November 2020
Dear Brothers,
We’ve been hearing a lot about the coronavirus, but nowadays it is present all over in our immediate environments: I myself have been certified as infected for ten days already. As it were, I may consider myself as lucky, (so far) I haven’t got to a hospital. After a few feverish days, my temperature has been normal for a week. I am supplied, there’s someone who cooks for me, and I can celebrate a mass every day. Notwithstanding, in my mind, I had to endure very harsh days, indeed. It did happen, that having celebrated a mass in a seated position I felt so weak that had to lay down immediately after.
My status – though slowly improving – remains unsteady, even within the same day. When I didn’t feel well, particularly at the beginning – there was this lurking doubt: my condition could worsen, since there are cases who get better but then after ten days end up at a hospital. After nearly a fortnight I’m still only able to do real work to a very limited extent. There are many who pray for me and I feel very grateful, indeed.
There is one thing that motivates me to write down these words: let us take every measure of precaution very seriously, we are responsible for each other, and for our own selves, too. Far from everyone gets away with the COVID-infection lightly. There are many who suffer for a long time, and more and more – not only elderly and otherwise sick people – end up dying.
May I add, in conclusion, that in spite of everything this is a period of grace, a gift of God’s merciful love, an opportunity to get closer with Jesus, who invited us for the priestly service and sacrifice.
With brotherly love. Gábor Mohos, auxiliary bishop”.
