The Congress, in which Father Bernard Ardura, President of the 'Pontificio Comitato di Scienze Storiche' participated, is organized by the Catholic University of Murcia and the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome.

Since the 13th of December, the UCAM Campus has hosted the ‘International Congress of Justice, Mercy and Law,’ that will continue until Friday, the 16th of December.

The event is organized by the Joint International Chair, Inocencio III of The Pontifical Lateran University of Rome, through the Institute Utriusque Iuris, and the Catholic University of Murcia.

Many participated in the opening act, including, Estrella Núñez – vice-rector of Research at UCAM; Father Bernard Ardura – President of the 'Pontificio Comitato di Scienze Storiche'; Javier Belda – President of the organizing committee of the Congress and co-director of the Joint International Chair, Inocencio III; and Father Manuel J. Arroba – President of the Institutum Utriusque Iuris, Pontifical Lateran University.

In this edition, the Congress is focused on Mercy. Father Bernard Ardura has pointed out that this concept can help in relation to justice and law, to understand that, "the guilty must not only be punished, but deserves salvation and that involves not only providing the opportunity to reintegrate into society, but Mercy; that is what really allows the rehabilitation of the one who has fallen, who has sinned, who has committed the crime."

In light of Christianity, he ensures that, "we can find in all others, even in the guilty, the face of God, which implies that we are all made in the image and likeness of Him." Similarly, he said that society has to, "find mechanisms so that mercy is capable of tempering, in some way, the application of justice, directed not to punishment but to salvation."

Javier Belda stressed that more than seventy experts are participating in the Congress, coming from many countries such as, Portugal, Belgium, Israel, USA, England and Italy. He added that, "we have succeeded in making it possible to invite the Chair, Inocencio III each December, where experts in the history of law look to UCAM and the Chair as a place of reflection, an opportunity to meet, and to find commonality in their research."

On the subject of the Congress, he stated that a society will always be better, "when those who have committed crimes can be re-educated to really become part of society. We have to be able, without taking away what has been done, to educate them, in such a way to prevent it from happening again."

Father Manuel J. Arroba, President of the Institute of Utriusque Iuris, Pontifical Lateran University (Rome), said that this congress, "which has a great reception," allows us to reflect on the relationship between Mercy and Justice, "There is an opportunity to improve human relations if the relation between these two terms can be understood."

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