Ginés García Beltrán, Bishop of Guadix-Baza, to coordinate the many groups, ecclesial realities and the movement that has arisen in our country around the spirituality and message of Divine Mercy. For this reason -and also because the Church is living in this Jubilee Year dedicated to Mercy-, the preparation of the First National Divine Mercy Congress is already well advanced. "We trust in your mercy."will be held in Madrid on October 22 and 23. The organizers estimate about two thousand participants.
The first objective of the congress is to show the message of the Divine Mercy in all its depth, beyond the devotional. A second objective will be to make visible, for the first time in Spain, the spirituality movement - at present very fragmented - that draws from the message of Divine Mercy. Abroad, this "charism" has been institutionalized and is spread mainly through the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of God of Mercy and the "Faustinum" Association, based at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Lagiewniki.
The First International Divine Mercy Congress, the brainchild of John Paul II, was held in Rome in 2008. Two more have been held since then. The next one, in Manila, will be held in 2017. In other countries, such as Ireland, national congresses have been organized for 14 years.
Although at first there were some reservations about the Divine Mercy message, it was later endorsed by John Paul II through the beatification and canonization of Faustina Kowalska and the institution of the Feast of Divine Mercy.
