From the Archives, 1973: International Eucharistic Congress in Melbourne

First published in The Age on February 19, 1973

Splendor, dignity and smiles mark opening of the Congress

First came the red-clad cardinals, two by two, more than a dozen of them, their robes vivid in yesterday’s harsh sunlight.

Behind them, the archbishops and bishops, also in pairs, dressed in purple.

Bishops and Cardinals parade onto the MCG during the children’s mass for the Eucharistic CongressCredit:The Age Archives

There was no deliberate pomp, but considerable splendor. It was the liturgical inauguration of the 40th International Eucharistic Congress — the visible sign that the great event had begun.

Maximos V, Patriarch of Antioch, paced himself with a great silver-topped staff. He smiled and waved at the crowd.

His robes were dark, not red. And this was true of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne (Dr Woods), probably the best-known of the non-Catholic church leaders.

The outside crowd — an additional thousand to the 3000 inside — clapped as the churchmen filed into St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Patriarch Maximos V, the spiritual leader of Melkite Catholics, walks in the procession of bishops outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.Credit:Fairfax Media

Inside, it was light, almost bright. Television lights had robbed the cathedral of its cool, quiet shadows.

The churchmen took their places beside the sanctuary. And 12 sailors marched into precise ranks on the steps leading to the High Altar.

The official guests — the Governor, the Lord Mayor, representatives of Federal and State Governments and the Opposition – were already seated.

There was a sound like steady rain on an iron roof —the sound of clapping outside the cathedral.

The silver trumpets were raised. A special fanfare rang through the cathedral, its sound softened by the stone pillars, announcing the arrival of the Papal Legate, Cardinal Shehan.

At the steps leading to the sanctuary, the procession halted. From the eastern side of the sanctuary, another procession moved — the incense bearer preceded the Dean of the Cathedral, carrying a small crucifix tenderly laid on a cushion.

The Papal Legate kissed the crucifix, sprinkled the bystanders with holy water.

And as the procession moved to the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the sound of boy sopranos singing Palestrina’s Tu Es Petrus soared to the vaulted ceiling.

A nun slipped from her pew and took a quick photograph of the Papal Legate as he passed.

Cardinal Shehan moved to his seat and the Notary of the Melbourne Archdiocese (the Rt. Rev. Mons. Clarke) began the reading of the Papal Legate’s letter of appointment.

The Papal Legate, Cardinal Shehan, with the Prime Minister, Gough WhitlamCredit:Antony Matheus Linsen

“We ardently desire, then, that — even as those who have prepared this Eucharistic Congress are closely bound to each other — the Congress itself may kindle a burning desire in the souls of men to help one another to be open-hearted in providing for strangers among them to bring aid and comfort to the poor and abandoned.”

Somewhere a microphone whined.

The letter went on: “Finally, we humbly beseech God that this approaching Congress may be productive of the fruits of the spirit anticipated for it and that these fruits, in turn, may work for the good of the land of Australia, whose sweet memory is fresh with us, and for the good of the whole world.”

With the Apostolic blessing, the ceremony continued. A welcome from Archbishop Knox, a reply from the Papal Legate: “May the light that shines so brightly here in the city of Melbourne shine even more brightly during the months that lie ahead.”

The service of dedication, the general intercessions — with Mr. Phillip Lynch, Dame Mary Daly, and Mr. Herbert Boland reading the intercessory prayers — and the final hymn.

An Indian woman, with bare feet, leant on a railing and sang joyously “Now thank we all our God”.

In 50 minutes it was all over. It took another 10 minutes for the churchmen to file down the aisle and out into the sunlight. They were all smiling.

The laity were smiling, too. “It was fantastic, so impressive,” a woman said to a friend.

White-bearded Erhard Radwan, 81, who flew alone from Germany, was content. Earlier there had been a moment of bitterness.

The old pilgrim — who has attended Eucharistic Congresses faithfully since 1938 — was stopped at the cathedral door because he had no ticket.

But an onlooker pointed him out to an usher who led him inside.

It may be his last pilgrimage for Erhard Radwan is dubious about his prospects of seeing another congress. “I am getting very old,” he said.

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