5th Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy to return to PH

FIFTEEN years after it was first held in the Philippines, the gathering aimed at strengthening and promoting devotion to Divine Mercy throughout Asia is returning to the country.

In a report by CBCP News, the 5th Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy (AACOM) is set to be hosted by the Archdiocese of Cebu at the IC3 Pavilion in Cebu City from October 14 to 19.

"About 5,000 participants are expected to attend the event," said CBCP News.

According to the Divine Mercy Philippines-Archdiocese of Cebu, participants from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are each allocated 1,000 slots.

On the other hand, 1,000 slots for delegates from outside the country are allocated, while the remaining 1,000 are those for delegates from Cebu.

Among the speakers of the five-day event is Lithuanian Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, where Polish nun St. Faustina Kowalska experienced many of the visions of Jesus that she recorded in her diary.

Also set to deliver a talk is Fr. Patrice Chocholski, rector of the Shrine of Saint Jean Marie Vianney in Ars, France, who is a well-known lecturer and theologian on the Divine Mercy message.

Held once every three years, AACOM is an Asian gathering of Divine Mercy ‎devotees ‎and ‎promoters, among whom are cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and the laity.

It was first held in Manila in 2009, while the last AACOM was held in Penang, Malaysia back in 2018.

The 5th AACOM was originally scheduled to take place in Hong Kong in 2021, but it was prevented by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)