VILNIUS (EWTN News) – As Vilnius, Lithuania, prepares to host the Sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM 6) from June 7–12, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, touched upon how the virtue of mercy helps societies understand justice and respond to those suffering. WACOM is a global Catholic apostolic conference held every three years in a different country to help people encounter God’s mercy and translate it into concrete acts of compassion. WACOM 6’s theme – “Building a City of Mercy” – is meant to to frame the congress not only as a major gathering but also as a call to conversion and daily witness. Washington, D.C.-born Archbishop Grušas urged Catholics to begin a shared pilgrimage now by building a “City of Mercy” “not of stone,” but one with forgiveness, fidelity, love, and compassion. He also cautioned against a common misconception: that mercy excludes repentance. “Mercy invites repentance,” he said, pointing to the prayer “Jesus, I trust in you” as a concise expression of the relationship between mercy, trust, and conversion.

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