Santos, Asia coordinator of the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, enjoined all delegates and visitors in WACOM IV to conclude in Bataan Friday to bring and spread mercy in their respective countries and the world.
The prelate reminded everyone of the Seventh Commandment “Thou shall not kill” found in Exodus 20.15.
“How can one rejoice with the death penalty? How can one pride himself of killing in the name of religious beliefs?” the bishop asked.
He went on with his questions about the environment. “How can we not be ashamed of our corruption and destruction of the environment for money and profit?”
“How can one be glad with the spilling of innocent blood, of destruction of lives because of human trafficking?” he asked.
Santos took potshots on fake news and trolls. “They are not mercy but lies. Bullying and internet bashing are not mercy. They are character assassinations.”
He advised that when confronted with these situations, we should be like merciful Jesus: “Jesus was not preoccupied with public image. He was not concerned with social acceptability and popular ratings.”
The Lord Jesus is Divine Mercy, the bishop said.
“As we conclude WACOM, Jesus is telling and sending us as missionaries and messengers of mercy. Our message is mercy. As we go back home as missionaries and messengers of the mercy of God, we will experience and encounter His ocean of mercy,” Santos said.
WACOM held its fourth congress in the Philippines from January 16 to 20. Bataan played host in the concluding day after the Manila Cathedral, University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, Batangas and Bulacan.
A Holy Mass was celebrated at the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, well-known theme park in Bagac, Bataan, Friday afternoon WACOM was first held in the Vatican in Rome in 2008, followed by Poland in 2011 and Columbia in 2014.
