c) Papal Approval of the Crusade.

One could almost say the. Crusade had received its approbation before it officially came into existence, since for half a century the apostles of the Eucharist, such as Fathers Cros, Lintelo, Bessieres had dreamed of organizing a great Eucharistic League for the little ones. They knew they could count on the approval of Pius X. the great Pope of the Eucharist.

In 1914, Benedict XV, in turn, appealed to all the children of the world, and asked them to lend a helping hand to the Father of all the faithful, through their prayers and communions, in order that the world might be saved and all things restored to Christ.

Finally on August 6th, 1932, Pius XI solemnly and officially approved the Crusade:

“…At the present moment our eyes turn particularly to the Eucharistic Crusade as it is called which is a product of the Apostleship of Prayer and is penetrated with its spirit and inflamed with its zeal to spread the Faith. The Crusade is the perfect expression of the Apostle- ship of Prayer. Recruited among the associates of the Apostleship of Prayer, the Crusaders are its picked soldiers, who work joyously to extend the reign of Christ, and in order to grow strong, these soldiers feed on the Eucharistic Bread, which they adore with a perfect faith and receive with ardent love.

… It is, therefore, not surprising that we should wish to add to the past favours with which we have honoured this association by giving it today anew and signal proof of our good will. Thus we confirm once more this Crusade, as representing the Eucharistic section of the Apostleship of Prayer."

To be continued…