The 5th Asian Apostolic Congress on Mercy (AACOM) will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Cebu at the IC3 Pavilion from Oct. 14 to 19.
In a statement issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday, Mar. 1, it said that around 5,000 participants are expected to attend the event.
Held under the theme "Divine Mercy: Pilgrimage of Hope in Asia," the gathering aims to “strengthen and promote devotion” to Divine Mercy throughout Asia.
Imma Alfon, the lay coordinator of Divine Mercy Philippines of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said that they have reserved a total of 3,000 slots for participants of the upcoming event.
Out of the total slots, 1,000 are allocated for delegates from outside the country, while another 1,000 slots are reserved for participants from the Philippines.
The remaining 1,000 slots, he added, are exclusively for delegates from Cebu.
The coordinator emphasized that registration for the October congress will open on Tuesday, Mar. 19, and will close on Sept. 8.
The five-day congress also features renowned speakers, including Lithuanian Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, and Fr. Patrice Chocholski, a well-known lecturer and theologian specializing in Divine Mercy.
CBCP added the event is held once every three years, the first was held in Manila in 2009.
This year's AACOM marks the return of the event in the country after being hosted by Malaysia in 2018.
It said that the event was originally planned for Hong Kong in 2021, however, due to the pandemic it was forced to postpone.