VATICAN CITY — according to AP international, Pope Francis is fleeing the Vatican for a retreat along with trusted members of his household to work "correcting the many defects we all have." We assume this means he's going to deal with some of the public relations disasters accompanied by many of his problematic statements.
They insist that Francis addressed tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for his Angelus address that later he and top aides were starting a spiritual renewal retreat that Sunday. They will be gone until Friday morning spending time till the. To meditate, and listen to reflections in Ariccia, a Rome suburb. What about fasting?
He didn't list the "defects." But in the nearly two years since becoming pontiff, Francis has put Vatican prelates on guard against careerism, arrogance, hypocrisy, corruption and being too judgmental instead of merciful.
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Vatican City (kath.net / KAP) Pope Francis wants to use the bus for his ride to a Lenten retreat. It is believed that Francis will travel the distance 30km from Rome to Ariccia together with the other participants in the bus, Vatican Radio reported on Thursday.
The Pope has made several trips into the community in his limo. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he constantly took advantage of public transportation. Even after his election as pontiff he went together with cardinals on the bus to Santa Marta Guest House.
On next Sunday, 9th March till Friday 14 March, the Pope will retire together with the heads of the Roman Curia for meditation in a formation house. It is the first time that a Pope has visited a Lenten fast retreat to a place outside of Rome.
Francis and his colleagues will hear lectures in the religious formation house "Casa Divin Maestro" in Ariccia, which is managed by the order of the "Societa San Paolo", by the popular Roman priest Don Angelo De Donati. De Donati leads the Roman Parish of San Marco al Campidoglio.
Directing the retreat is considered a great honor. In 1996, during the pontificate of John Paul II, that honor was given to the Archbishop of Vienna Christoph Schönborn.
AMGD