Pope begins retreat away from Vatican

March 10, 2013 - Pope Francis left the Vatican on Sunday afternoon aboard a bus along with cardinals, bishops and other Vatican officials for the town of Ariccia, in the Alban hills 25 kms away, for the first spiritual retreat of his pontificate. The retreat, a periodical spiritual renewal, consists of listening to preaching, prayer and reflection away from the distractions of daily work. Jesuits typically do such Lenten retreats away from home, and Pope Francis, a Jesuit, is breaking with the papal tradition of the retreat at the Vatican at the start of the 40-day Lenten period preceding Easter.

The House of the Divine Master of the Society of St. Paul is hosting Pope Francis and his collaborators until Friday morning when the retreat ends. Msgr. Angelo De Donatis, pastor of a parish in the center of Rome, is preaching the papal retreat on the theme of the "purification of the heart". Every day there will be two preached meditations, vespers and time for reflection and silence. At the end of his weekly midday ‘Angelus’ prayer and blessing on Sunday, the Holy Father urged for prayers for the retreat.