Lenten Retreat: Each on His Own

Francis used “the persistence of the current health emergency” as a pretext to cancel the retreat of the Roman Curia.

“This year, it will not be possible to hold the Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia communally at the Casa Divin Maestro in Ariccia,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said on January 20.

Instead, Francis invited the members of the Roman Curia to make their own personal arrangements, withdrawing in prayer from February 21-26.

There are plenty of big halls in the Vatican were the retreat could have been organised while respecting sanitary distancing.

Interestingly, in his Canale 5 interview, Francis insisted on "closeness instead of indifference" and "We is better than I."

Picture: Vatican Media, #newsPxvaijmgsc