VATICAN INSIDER: THE HISTORY OF VATICAN LENTEN RETREATS

VATICAN INSIDER: THE HISTORY OF VATICAN LENTEN RETREATS

Welcome to Vatican Insider on a weekend that features Pope Leo’s visit Sunday, March 8, to Our lady of the Presentation parish in the Torrevecchia neighborhood of Rome, his 4^th such Lenten visit to a Roman parish.

After the News segment and a Q&A on the three Orders of Franciscans, for the interview segment, I’ve prepared a special on the history of Lenten retreats for the Pope and members of the Roman Curia. In fact, we are close to marking the 100^th anniversary of this Vatican tradition.

When was the last time – or the first -that you went on retreat? Have you ever been on retreat – even for a two-day weekend?  You might want to think about it!  Seriously!

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JUST SO YOU KNOW….

Today’s jewel: When you’re headed in the wrong direction, even small steps take you there!

JUST SO YOU KNOW….

PRESS OFFICE BULLETIN

Fr. Roberto Pasolini, the Preacher of the Papal Household, delivered his first Friday Lenten meditation March 6 in the Paul VI Hall, in the presence of Pope Leo XIV and the Roman curia (Italian video).

+ The General Secretariat of the Synod issued a note March 5, explaining that the synod on synodality’s study groups will be dissolved after they present their final reports, which will be analyzed for “operative proposals,” to be presented to Pope Leo XIV for consideration.

+ Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the UN in Geneva, said in a March 5 statement at the 61st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council that “when debt burdens become crushing, states face impossible choices.”

+ Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen invited Pope Leo XIV to visit the Central European country during a March 5 private audience (vaticanstate.va).

+ Italian media have reported that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Swiss Guard Lieutenant Anton Kappler as his Aiutante di Camera (Assistant of the Chamber), following the retirement of Piergiorgio Zanetti.

+ Pope Leo XIV has congratulated Germany’s Fr. Bruno Kant, the world’s oldest priest, on his 110th birthday.

+ Bishops from Slovenia, Puerto Rico, and Peru visited the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life in January.

+ Belgian artist Tom Van Coillie presented Pope Leo with a portrait Feb. 18.

All of the above (and much more) can be found at Starting Seven: March 6, 2026 – by Luke Coppen  You can subscribe to this great daily news service.