Some foreign delegates to the fourth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (Wacom) have raised questions over the spate of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country in the past few months.
“There were some concerns on killings and the seeming lack of peace, but we said this is a very important situation which fear should not rule but God’s love,” Rev. Fr. Prospero Tenorio, Wacom Asia secretary general, admitted on Monday.
The Wacom 4 opened on Monday with a Mass at the Manila Cathedral presided by Apostolic Nuncio archbishop Giuseppe Pinto.
The five-day Wacom 4, which will be also held in Manila, Batangas, Bulacan and Bataan is expected to draw around 5,000 to 6,000 local and foreign delegates. The gathering, which aims to accelerate the culture of mercy in the Catholic Church and all over the world, is being held from Jan. 16 to 20, 2017.
Around 300 to 500 policemen will be deployed to each of the Wacom events in Manila, Batangas, Bulacan and Bataan.
In a press briefing before the Wacom 4’s opening, Tenorio noted that some foreign delegates were aware of the spate of killings in the country which made the news.
More than 6,000 have been killed so far since July in the government’s bloody war on drugs.
Tenorio also assured that they have not received any security or terrorist threat to the event.
In response to such concerns, the priest stressed to the delegates the importance of life which will be emphasized during the five-day meeting.
“We wish to spread God’s love to those who need it, especially our brothers and siblings who lost their way. They must be given a chance to see the beauty and goodness of life,” he said.
The issue of extrajudicial killings, however, will not be discussed during the Wacom but the meeting will aim to “present the beauty and importance of life in its general sense.”
An invitation was extended to President Duterte, who has been very vocal about his bloody war on drugs as well as his distaste for the Catholic Church.
The Wacom 4’s coordinators said the President had not yet replied to the invitation.
This year’s Wacom 4 has the theme “Communion in Mercy; Mission for Mercy.” It is expected to surpass the number of delegates who attended the previous Wacoms.
Representing Pope Francis is Archbishop Philippe Cardinal Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, France.