Pope Francis to preside over '24 Hours for the Lord'

Image Vatican Media

Source: Vatican Media

Pope Francis will preside over the opening of the '24 Hours for the Lord' prayer service on March 8, at the Roman parish of San Pio V.

Observed annually in dioceses worldwide on the eve of the fourth Sunday of Lent, the initiative, dedicated to prayer and reconciliation, was inaugurated by Pope Francis at the start of his pontificate. The theme for this year's event is 'Walking in a New Life,' taken from Romans chapter 6.

Friday's service with the Pope will begin at 4.30pm at the parish in Rome's Aurelio district, not far from the Vatican. The faithful who wish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation will have the opportunity to do so, with Pope Francis himself hearing the confessions of several penitents.

In preparation for Easter, on Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday, parishes are encouraged to provide extraordinary openings of churches, in order to offer the faithful the opportunity to confess and to pause in adoration at any time.

The Holy Father, since last year, has decided to preside over the '24 Hours for the Lord' in a different church within the Roman capital, in order to encourage parish participation.

The Dicastery for Evangelization invites all dioceses and parishes, in Italy and around the world, to celebrate the moment of prayer and forgiveness in one's own community.

In preparation for the event, which this year falls during the Pope's recently declared Year of Prayer, the Dicastery has made available pastoral aids to assist in personal prayer and community celebrations.

They can be downloaded in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and French from the Dicastery website.

A limited number of tickets will be made available for the Holy Father's liturgy. Subject to availability, tickets can be collected at the 'Jubilee 2025 Info Point' on Via della Conciliazione 7, from Tuesday, March 5, to Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 10am to 5pm.