Vatican City, Oct 23, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Before praying the angelus prayer yesterday in St. Peter‘s Square, Pope Benedict entrusted the fruits of the just-concluded General Synod of Bishops to the Virgin Mary and stressed the unique bond between the Church’s mission and the centrality of the Eucharist.
The Synod was held over the past two weeks marking the close of the ‘Year of the Eucharist‘, established by John Paul II, and studied the theme: ‘The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church.’
During the closing Mass for both the Synod and ‘Year of the Eucharist’ yesterday, the Pope also canonized five new saints--the first of his pontificate.
"These new saints," he said, "whom we contemplate in their heavenly glory, invite us to resort in all circumstances to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, in order to progress ever more along the road of evangelical perfection, upheld by constant union with the Lord, truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.”