For the second year in a row, Pope Francis will preside over a Lenten service and hear confessions at a parish in Rome.
“Having the Holy Father here is a wonderful thing for our community, especially because we will pray together with him before the Lord and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness together as a community,” said Father Donato Le Pera, Pastor at St. Pius V Parish. “The two basic things of a Christian life: worshiping the Lord and asking for forgiveness.”
This year, the Pope will travel just under two miles behind the Vatican to a modern Church.
Built in 1952, St. Pius the fifth is the place where Pope Francis will celebrate the 24 Hours for the Lord prayer service and, for a few lucky people, hear their confessions.
“There will be 10 people who will confess: five we chose from our community and five the Dicastery for Evangelization have chosen,” Father Le Pera said. “I tried to choose people who need encouragement, who want to restart their journey after a difficult situation or simply because they feel the need for reconciliation.”
Father Le Pera said the church can hold about 600 people. But there have been more requests than seats available.
He explains this initiative is important because it builds on a challenge Pope Francis made many years ago.
“Always with open doors,” said Pope Francis in 2015 “The churches, the parishes, the institutions with closed doors cannot be called churches, they must be called museums.”
“When the Pope talks about the outgoing Church, he is the first one to make this gesture of going out of the Vatican and meeting with a community, even if for a short time,” Father La Perla said. “But, it is nice that it is done in an atmosphere of prayer. Praying with the Pope before the Lord strengthens our unity in the Church, with the Lord and with the Pope.”
Pope Francis won’t be staying for the full 24 hours of prayer, only the service launching the event.
This is always a busy time for the Holy Father, let’s take a quick look at his schedule for Holy Week and Easter.
It all kicks off with Palm Sunday Mass on March. 24, then on Holy Thursday, March. 28, before the prison visit, he’ll celebrate Chrism Mass.
On Good Friday, March 29th, Pope Francis will again lead a way of the cross at the Colosseum.
On Saturday, March. 30, he’ll preside over the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday, March 31, he’ll celebrate Mass and give an “URBI Et Orbi” blessing.
You can watch those Masses, plus see all the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Easter services live, right here on Net-TV.