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6,000 participants to attend World Apostolic Congress on Mercy 4
MANILA—An estimated 6,000 participants are expected to attend the 4th World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM 4), which officially started on Monday.
According to Rev. Fr. Prospero Tenorio, WACOM-Asia Secretary General, local and international delegates are set to join the five-day event to be held in Manila, Batangas, Bulacan and Bataan.
He noted that the projected figure is so far the biggest number of attendees compared to the first three events.
“Kung babalikan natin yung WACOM 1, 2 and 3, batay dun sa bilang ay malalagpasan natin yung mga bilang ng nakaraan. ‘Yung last (2014) medyo mahina dahil medyo malayo (ang venue), in Bogota, Colombia nasa less than 2,000 yun eh. Ang pinaka marami yung Rome, nasa 3,000 plus, less than 4,000 during the 1st WACOM in 2008. Ang second WACOM ay sa Poland, less than 3,000 din. Pero ngayon right now, figures natin baka tayo umabot ng 6,000,” Tenorio said at the sidelines of the press conference held on Monday at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) in Intramuros, Manila.
He added that the most number of local participants are from the Archdiocese of Davao, numbering to 300.<=H”Ang Davao ang pinakamarami na aattend sa local. Maaari kasi sa katatapos lamang last year ng Philippine Apostolic Congress sa kanila kaya siguro kuwan pa, maganda experience kaya ganun na lamang siguro ang naging tugon,” the WACOM 4 official explained.
Asked if he sees the response of Davao, given that President Rodrigo Duterte is from the said province, as a positive sign, he said, “Siguro magiging positive ‘yan in the sense na sila mismo from Davao, andaming dadalo sa WACOM.”
As for international participants they would be coming from 40 countries namely: US, Italy, France, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia where the biggest number of attendees in Asia would come from.
“US, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, Rome, France ang pinaka madami sa Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia,” he added.
Tenorio said that each diocese are shouldering the expenses of their respective events.
“Sa una nagoffer ang Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines nagoffer natulungan kaya lang kanya kanya diocese may mga responsilbities kaya kung sino na lang involved na diocese ang talaga nagsikap makaipon ng pondo,” he added.
The Churches where the 4th WACOM will be held are: Manila Cathedral (January 16, 2016), University of Santo Tomas (January 17), National Shrine of Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas (January 18), National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in the Diocese of Malolos (January 19) and in the Diocese of Balanga (January 20).
The theme for this year’s event is “Communion in Mercy; Mission for Mercy”, aims to accelerate the culture of mercy in the Church and in the world.
WACOM is an international gathering of Divine Mercy devotees and promoters such as bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters and the laity.
