On the occasion of her start of Lent for Roman CatholicsThe Pope Francis officiated at the Ash Wednesday liturgy (also equivalent to Clean Monday in the Orthodox Church), urging the faithful to take advantage of the fasting period to let aside materialism and egocentrism and to help their fellow man.
Priests bless the ash (ashes) from the burning of the previous year’s trees and then rub the heads of the faithful with it, forming a cross on the forehead. In this way mortality is reminded (“both have been fired“).
In his sermon at basilica of Agia Savina, the pontiff said “the ashes we receive tonight remind us that any sense of self-sufficiency is false and the idolizing ourselves is destructive, trapping us in isolation and loneliness.”
A cardinal sprinkled ashes on the head of Pope Francis, who later said: “How often, trapped in personal desires and needswe miss the point and fail to grasp the true meaning of life in this world…”.
The 86-year-old pontiff urged the faithful to help those in need and make sacrifices during Great Lent leading up to Easter Sunday (for Catholics it is April 9 this year). “Let’s take advantage of these 40 days to take stock (…) and deal with what really matters».
During this year’s Lent, it will be 10 years since the election of Francis, the first pope from Latin America.
Source: News Beast
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