The Sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy opened in Vilnius on Sunday, with around 7,000 people taking part in a Eucharistic procession through the city’s streets, the Archdiocese of Vilnius said in a press release.
Pilgrims arrived in the Lithuanian capital from countries around the world, including Poland, the United States, Argentina, Kuwait, Myanmar, Pakistan and the distant islands of Wallis and Futuna.
A special highlight of the evening was a video message from Pope Leo XIV to participants in the congress.
“The Holy Father was pleased to greet all those gathered for the Sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, an initiative nurtured by Saint Pope John Paul II,” the archdiocese said.
In his message, the Pope noted that today’s world, marked by fear, tension and war, is in particular need of peace and mercy.
According to the Holy Father, God’s mercy is a force capable of renewing human hearts, opening the way to love and forgiveness, and becoming the foundation of genuine peace.
“The peace we so deeply long for cannot be achieved without mercy,” the Pope said.
He also greeted Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, President Gitanas Nausėda and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who serves as patron of the congress that will last until June 12.
President Nausėda stressed that the message of mercy is especially important in troubled times, making the Mercy Congress in Vilnius particularly significant.
“At a time when anxiety about the future threatens the peace of many souls, the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in Vilnius is taking place at exactly the right moment. May the light of the spirit touch every participant. May it spread throughout the world,” he said.
The Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta emphasised that the Image of the Merciful Jesus, painted in Vilnius, is not merely a historical relic but continues to remind both the city and the faithful of their mission to spread the message of God’s mercy.
Speaking about the congress theme, Building a City of Mercy, Archbishop Grušas said it was far more than a symbolic slogan.
“A city of mercy is built every time forgiveness triumphs over resentment, every time the most vulnerable are protected, every time those who suffer are not left alone, every time truth is united with love, and every time Christians become living witnesses of hope,” he said.
In the coming days, Vilnius will host conferences, testimonies, prayer gatherings and a range of other events aimed at exploring the message of mercy in the modern world.
The World Apostolic Congress of Mercy takes place every three years in a different country.
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