Pope Francis Begins Lenten Retreat
Pope Francis and the heads of Vatican dicasteries left on Sunday afternoon to begin their weeklong Curial spiritual exercises to be held at Casa del Divin Maestro retreat house. Also known as the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, the annual retreat will be highlighted with prayers, meditation and Eucharistic adoration.
Pope Paul XI began the tradition of the papal retreat with the Roman Curia at the beginning of Lent and has been done for the past 80 years. The exercises were originally done at the Vatican but were moved to the retreat house by Pope Francis in 2014, according to Catholic News Agency.
The new site is not far from the Vatican which is just 16 miles outside of Rome, just a short distance from the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo in Ariccia town. The dome of St. Peter's Basillica in the distance is visible. Fr. Olinto Crespi, head of the household, said the pope wanted the retreat "to be made in an atmosphere of recollection and prayer" which the house can provide.
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Fr. Crespi described a typical day during the retreat which starts with Mass followed by an entire day of preaching with only breakfast and lunch in between. The pope picked Franciscan priest Giulio Michelini to preach on the Gospel of Matthew this year.
But while the other participants will attend events held in the auditorium, Pope Francis wants to be alone in the chapel where he asked not to be disturbed. "And this says further the climate that Francis wants to create," Fr. Crespi said. With the availability of a telephone line and wifi, some of the cardinals may squeeze in some work but not the pope.
Fr. Crespi described the simplicity of the retreat house. "We know that the Pope does not rotate much: room, chapel, dining room," he said. "There is always a background of music and he himself stays silent." The participants will return to Rome on Friday," Vatican Radio reported.
