Pope Francis has appointed four priests from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan as the Catholic Church’s new “Missionaries of Mercy”.

The appointment of Fr. Allan Morris Abuan, Fr. Matt Jason Molina, Fr. Danille Chad Pecson, and Fr. Roy Joel brings the number of missionaries of mercy in the Philippines to 11, CBCP News reported on June 25, 2020.

The Missionaries of Mercy are given the following authority:

special authority to pardon sins that carry penalties that only the Vatican can lift, such as an attempt against the life of the pope or a priest who violates the seal of confession
power to forgive abortion, a right previously reserved for bishops or special confessors
The last time the Pope appointed missionaries of mercy in the Philippines was in 2016.

The other missionaries of mercy in the Philippines are Franciscan priests Andrew Litigio, Joe Litigio, Robert Manansala, Andres Rañoa, Fr. Jose Lito Escote of the Antique diocese, and Davao City-based Fr. Darek Drzewiecki of the Congregation of the Marian Fathers.

Pope Francis had previously appointed Manila Cardinal Chito Tagle as the Vatican Prefect for Evangelization.