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

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis will open the eleventh edition of the '24 Hours for the Lord' Lenten initiative this Friday, March 8, at the Roman parish of San Pio V, according to a statement from the Dicastery for Evangelization.

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 4:30 pm 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. 

Extraordinary opening of churches

In preparation for Easter, on Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday, ecclesial communities 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.

How to prepare

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. 

How to participate

A limited number of tickets will be made available for the Holy Father's liturgy.

Subject to availability, one can collect tickets at the 'Jubilee 2025 Info Point' on Via della Conciliazione 7, from Tuesday, March 5, to Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 10 am to 5 pm.