Pope’s Lenten retreat to be preached by Congo cardinal

(February 10, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI will be on his annual Lenten spiritual retreat from February 26 to March 3, during which all his appointments will be suspended. The week of spiritual exercises will take place in the Vatican, and will be joined in by heads of the various Vatican offices and departments. Pope Benedict has chosen as his retreat preacher Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Congo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, who will base his reflections on the verse from the First Letter of St. John: “For our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” A leading figures of the Catholic Church in Africa, the 72-year old cardinal is also a prominent voice in defence of human rights in his country, especially during the long dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko. The Pope normally begins his annual retreat on the Sunday following Ash Wednesday, that marks the start of the 40-day Lenten period in preparation for Easter.