2nd WORLD APOSTOLIC CONGRESS ON MERCY Poland 2011

The 1st World Apostolic Congress on Mercy was held in Rome in April 2008 and the next Congress on Mercy will be held in Kracow in Poland from October the 1st to the 5th in 2011. For more information and to read or listen to some of the talks from the previous Congress in 2008 please visit the website here:
www.worldapostoliccongressonmercy.org

1st WORLD APOSTOLIC CONGRESS ON MERCY ROME 2008

In April of 2008 a group of fifty Irish people attended the first ever World Congress on Mercy Pope Benedict XVI opened the Congress by celebrating 1030 Mass in St Peter's Square together with 17 Cardinals and this coincided with the third anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father set the stage for the 5 day World Congress ” In fact, only Divine Mercy is capable of limiting evil; only God's all-powerful love can overcome the arrogance of the wicked, and the destructive power of selfishness and hatred; he said in his homily delivered before more than 40,000 people.

Cardinal Schonborn of Austria, who served as the Congress President, gave the opening address together with Cardinal Ruini of Italy and Cardinal Dziwisz of Poland. The opening activities of the Congress were conducted in St John's Lateran Basilica.

The World Congress on Mercy aims to bring mercy prominently into the daily life of every person. It explored both the spiritual and social implications of living the message of God's mercy. Delegates included clergy laity and people of other faiths. Beginning this year and also in 2010 a series of follow up congresses will be held in The United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Oceana and these will be followed then by conferences at diocesan level.

The Congress naturally featured much prayer, but also plenary sessions, together with some very special ecumenical testimonies, and the experience of evangelising on the streets of Rome. A stunning testimony by Rwanda survivor Imaculee LLibagiza, was followed by yet another extraordinary life lived in providence, this time it was Sister Elvira founder of Cenaclo and those whose lives she helps to turn around.

Cardinal Barbarin of France lead an inter-religious dialogue which featured very worthwhile contributions from leaders of various faiths. Cardinal Arinze of Nigeria devoted special attention to the liturgy of Divine Mercy Sunday underscoring the theological significance that this Sunday forms the conclusion of the Octave of Easter. “Thus is shown the strict link between the Pascal Mystery of Redemption and the Feast of Divine Mercy” he said.

The event concluded with Mass at St Peter's Basilica celebrated by Cardinal Schonborn. During his Regina Coeli address from St. Peter's Square Pope Benedict XVI urged participants, in the historic first World Mercy Congress, by saying “Go to the world and be witnesses of Divine Mercy”.

Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul © 1987 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. www.thedivinemercy.org Used with permission and gratitude.