No papal audience February 24 as Lenten Retreat continues

February 24, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI did not hold his regular weekly public audience on Wednesday, February 24. The Holy Father has cancelled his audiences this week as he and the leaders of the Roman Curia make their annual Lenten Retreat.

The spiritual exercises, preached by the Salesian Father Enrico Dal Covolo, are centered on the general theme of the priesthood, with a more specific focus for each day's meditations, and a particular model of the priesthood raised each day.

• On Monday, priestly vocations, drawing on thoughts of St. Augustine;
• On Tuesday, missionary priests, with a meditation on the patron saint of priests, St. Jean Marie Vianney, the Cure of Ars;
• On Wednesday, penance, including thoughts on temptation, sin, and forgiveness; the preacher drew material for one meditation from the classic Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos;
• On Thursday, the figure of Christ and the vocation of his disciplines, with a meditation on Ven. Giuseppe Guadrio;
• On Friday, the Virgin Mary, discussing the Annunciation and the Magnificat as a means of understanding vocation; the priest discussed as a model for emulation will be the late Pope John Paul II;
• The Lenten Retreat will conclude on Saturday with the singing of Lauds and a meditation on the first deacons.

 

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Further information:

• Lenten Retreat Continues at the Vatican (Vatican Radio)
• Details of Spiritual Exercises of Pope and Roman Curia (Vatican Radio)
• Pope and Roman Curia to enter week-long Lenten Retreat (CWN, 2/19)