The sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy opens in Vilnius on Sunday, with Archbishop Metropolitan Gintaras Grušas expecting more than five thousand believers from countries across the globe to attend.
"This is truly the first time a Vatican-organised world event has taken place in Lithuania," the archbishop told a press conference on Thursday.
Some of those arriving will stay in hotels, whilst others will be hosted by local residents in their homes. Organisers are encouraging Lithuanian believers to stay with relatives living in Vilnius.
The congress runs until June 12. Its theme – Building a City of Mercy – invites participants to reflect on the mission of believers to create communities in which indifference and individualism give way to sensitivity towards others "through concrete acts of love, word and prayer", according to organisers.
The programme includes conferences, workshops, personal testimonies, services, praise gatherings, pilgrimages, and themed tours of Vilnius, as well as mercy-focused community initiatives across the city and a festival for young people.
