WASHINGTON – Each year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) comforts and assists people worldwide who suffer from war, natural disasters, violent persecution or extreme poverty. That work is possible because of contributions to The Catholic Relief Services Collection. This year, many dioceses will take up this collection in their parishes at Masses on March 29-30.

The collection benefits six Church-related entities that all offer aid to the vulnerable in carrying out the Christ’s mandate in Matthew’s Gospel to care for the “least of these.” 

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS) provides disaster relief and economic development initiatives among the developing world’s poorest people.
• Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the USCCB helps the Church address the pastoral needs of U.S. Catholics across many cultural boundaries.
• Secretariat of Justice and Peace at the USCCB engages in advocacy and outreach on behalf of the poor and works for peace.
• Migration & Refugee Services at the USCCB welcomes and assists newcomers to the U.S., especially victims of war and persecution.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) provides legal aid to refugees and migrants, including immigrant Catholic clergy and religious sisters and brothers who need help navigating United States immigration law.
• The Holy Father’s Relief Fund enables the Pope to quickly assist victims of disaster.

“This year, The Catholic Relief Services Collection has a very urgent significance,” said Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on National Collections. “Recently, the U.S. government abruptly suspended funding for its refugee resettlement program and then terminated cooperative agreements for such work, impacting thousands of refugees that the government has placed in the charge of the USCCB for resettlement assistance. And with similarly abrupt stop-work orders on foreign humanitarian relief work, aid organizations such as Catholic Relief Services are unable to sustain their work overseas, bringing food, life-saving medicine, and daily necessities to people in need.”

While federal funding has been essential for organizations such as the USCCB and CRS to succeed in the work to aid those in need, each year the Conference spends more to support refugees than it receives from federal grants. Because of the funding suspension, the USCCB and its local partner organizations have begun laying off dozens of employees and this has irreparably damaged the USCCB’s partnerships with local groups and its ability to provide refugee assistance in the future. Donations to this year’s collection will be vital to the Catholic initiatives to reveal Christ’s love to those in need.

In the past, The Catholic Relief Services Collection has brought religious sisters and priests to the United States, provided pastoral training for Catholic leaders who minister to Asian and Pacific Island communities in the United States, enabled families to rise above poverty, and funded steps toward ending a war. In 2023, the bishops distributed more than $13 million among the six organizations affiliated with the collection. For information on the projects that were funded in 2023, please visit: https://www.usccb.org/catholic-relief.

#iGiveCatholicTogether also accepts funds for this collection.

###

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis is no longer considered in imminent danger from his lung infection, but he will remain in Rome's Gemelli hospital for several more days to continue receiving medical treatment, the Vatican said. 

The improvements in the 88-year-old pope's condition recorded in the previous days "have been further consolidated" and were confirmed by the results of blood tests and his positive response to drug therapy, the Vatican said in its evening medical bulletin March 10. 

Doctors had previously noted "a good response to therapy" March 8, adding that his gas exchanges -- the intake of oxygen and output of carbon dioxide -- had improved and that blood tests showed his condition to be stable.

While his doctors' prognosis for the pope was "guarded" for more than three weeks after he was hospitalized Feb. 14, they lifted that designation March 10, indicating he was no longer in imminent danger from the infection that hospitalized him. He was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia Feb. 18.

A man prays for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 10, 2025. Because senior Vatican officials are on their Lenten retreat in the Vatican audience hall, the rosary was recited three hours earlier than usual and people in the square followed the prayer on video screens. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

However, due to the severity of the infection and the complexity of his condition, doctors determined that "it will be necessary to continue, for additional days, medical drug therapy in a hospital setting," the bulletin said.

The pope followed by video parts of the Roman Curia's Lenten retreat both March 9 and 10, the bulletin said, and he received the Eucharist before praying in the chapel of his hospital suite. 

"In the afternoon he again joined the Curia's spiritual exercises, following by video connection," it said. "During the day he alternated between prayer and rest."

No new images of the pope have been seen in more than three weeks, but the Vatican shared an audio message from the pope March 6 in which, with labored breath, he thanked the faithful for their prayers for his health. 

The Vatican press office confirmed that while the pope watched the main talks of the Curia retreat, participants meeting in the Vatican audience hall could not see images of the pope.

The Curia's retreat March 9-14 focused on the theme "The Hope of Eternal Life," which was chosen weeks prior to the pope's hospitalization, the Vatican press office said.

Despite his hospitalization, Pope Francis was preparing to mark two significant milestones: 67 years since entering the Society of Jesus March 11 and 12 years since his election as pope March 13.

Heavy rains and a time change led to a smaller gathering of faithful in St. Peter's Square on March 10 to pray for the pope's recovery. The rosary, typically prayed in the late evening, was moved to 6 p.m. Rome time to coincide with the Curia's spiritual exercises.

Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family, and Life, led the rosary, following a meditation by Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household.

Reflecting on the theme of eternal life, Father Pasolini said, "We realize that, yes, death happens to us, but something much more important happens to us: life, and this is the gift of eternal life."

"This is what we must convert our attention and our hearts to," he continued. "Not to the fact that we are dead and will die, but to the fact that we are alive and will live because of God's promise."

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2025 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday thanked volunteers for the closeness and tenderness they show others in need of their care.

As the Holy Father continues medical treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican released his March 9 Sunday homily and Angelus message dedicated to the approximately 25,000 men and women participating in the March 8–9 Jubilee of the World of Volunteering. 

At the conclusion of his homily, the pope thanked volunteers associated with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations for following Jesus by serving others.

“On the streets and in homes, in the company of the sick, the suffering, and the imprisoned, with the young and the elderly, your generosity and commitment offer hope to our entire society,” the pontiff shared in his prepared homily. 

“In the deserts of poverty and loneliness, all those small gestures are helping to make a new humanity blossom in the garden that is God’s dream, always and everywhere, for all of us,” he continued.

In his Angelus message, the 88-year-old pontiff said volunteers bear witness to the “primacy of gratuitousness, solidarity, and service to those most in need.” 

“In our societies, too enslaved to market logic, where everything risks being subject to the criterion of interest and the quest for profit, volunteering is prophecy and a sign of hope,” the pope said.

“I express my gratitude to those who are engaged in this field: Thank you for offering your time and abilities; thank you for the closeness and tenderness with which you care for others, reawakening hope in them!”

Calling those who care for the sick “a sign of Lord’s presence,” the Holy Father expressed particular gratitude toward the doctors and medical staff caring for him at Gemelli Hospital.

“Brothers and sisters, during my prolonged hospitalization here, I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care,” he said. “We need this, the ‘miracle of tenderness’ that accompanies those who are in adversity, bringing a little light into the night of pain.”

The pope on Sunday also thanked those who have and continue to pray for his health and healing since being admitted to the hospital more than three weeks ago on Feb. 14: “Heartfelt thanks to you all! I pray for you too.”

In a March 9 statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican said it will hold the Roman Curia’s annual spiritual exercises from March 10–14 this year.

“In accordance with tradition, this time of contemplation and prayer represents a moment of silence and discernment for the Holy Father’s collaborators, who will gather in a spirit of reflection and listening to the Word of God, continuing to pray for his health,” the Vatican statement said.

The pope in his Angelus message said he will “join spiritually” those participating in this month’s spiritual exercises.

During the March 10–14 spiritual exercises, the Vatican said the recitation of the holy rosary for the Holy Father’s health will be held at 5 p.m. local time inside the Paul VI Audience Hall instead of 9 p.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square.

Since Feb. 24, cardinals of the Roman Curia have led daily prayer evenings, open to the public, in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s recovery.

At the end of his Sunday Angelus message, the pope asked people to pray for the “gift of peace” for Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria.

“I entrust you all to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary,” he said. “Happy Sunday, and arrivederci [goodbye]!”

Vatican City, Mar 9, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday said defeats are not definitive for those who believe in Jesus Christ and trust in God’s love and forgiveness.

In his prepared March 9 homily for the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father said difficulties and trials do not “end in failure” for Christians who embrace their relationship with God our redeemer.

“In the face of temptation, we sometimes fall; we are all sinners,” the papal text said. “Our defeat, however, is not definitive, because following our every fall, God lifts us up by his infinite love and forgiveness.”

The Holy Father was unable to preside over the Mass for the first Sunday of Lent, which coincided with the last day of the Jubilee for the World of Volunteering, due to ongoing medical treatment in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. 

In his place, Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presided over the Sunday Mass, attended by thousands of uniformed volunteers belonging to nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. 

“Let us consider three aspects of Jesus’ temptation and of our own: its beginning, the way it takes place, and its result,” Czerny said, reading the pope’s homily. “In this way, we will find inspiration for our journey of conversion.”

Reflecting on the different Gospel accounts of Jesus’ temptations in the desert, the pope said Christians should not feel afraid or threatened by the “beginning” of temptation. 

“Whenever we ask God not to lead us into temptation (cf. Mt 6:13), we need to remember that he has already answered that prayer through Jesus, his incarnate word, who remains with us always,” the pope shared in his written homily. 

“The Lord is close to us and cares for us, especially in times of trial and uncertainty, when the tempter makes his voice heard,” he continued. 

According to the Holy Father, “the way” the devil tries to tempt Jesus and his followers is to doubt and reject the “filial relationship” with God our Father.

“In his perversion, the devil wants to destroy that bond,” the pontiff explained. “Jesus’ relationship with the Father is not something to be grasped at (cf. Phil 2:6) or boasted of in order to achieve success and attract followers but rather a gift that he shares with the world for our salvation.”

“The devil whispers into our ear that God is not really our Father, that he has in fact abandoned us,” the Holy Father said. “Yet just when the devil would have us believe that the Lord is far from us and would tempt us to despair, God draws all the closer to us, giving his life for the redemption of the world.”

For Christians, the pope stressed that the “result” of temptations — when faced with the help of Jesus, the “Anointed One” — is the eventual defeat of Satan, “the tempter.” 

“Our testing does not end in failure, because, in Christ, we are redeemed from evil,” he said.  “Jesus himself opens up before us this new path of liberation and redemption.” 

The 88-year-old pontiff concluded his Sunday homily by greeting Jubilee for the World of Volunteering participants and asking the Holy Spirit to sustain Christians throughout their Lenten journey toward Holy Week and Easter — “the central mystery of our faith” in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Rome Newsroom, Mar 8, 2025 / 06:45 am (CNA).

As Pope Francis continues to receive treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and his condition remains stable, the pontiff remains involved with Church affairs.

On Saturday, Pope Francis addressed pilgrims of the Movement for Life in a statement issued from his hospital room, which Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, delivered during a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 8.

In his message, the 88-year-old pontiff thanked the pro-life pilgrims on their organization’s 50th anniversary, praising their concrete support for mothers experiencing difficult pregnancies.

Pope Francis encouraged the Movement for Life to continue its mission, noting that “there is still and more than ever a need for people of all ages who concretely dedicate themselves to the service of human life, especially when it is most fragile and vulnerable; because it is sacred, created by God for a great and beautiful destiny.”

Medical staff continue to provide Pope Francis with “high-flow oxygenation” via nasal cannulas during daytime hours while he uses “noninvasive mechanical ventilation” overnight to support his breathing. “The night passed quietly; the pope is resting,” read the brief Vatican update issued on Saturday morning.

Vatican officials confirmed the pope will again not publicly appear for the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. Instead, as has been done in recent weeks, his reflection’s text will be published.

Similarly, the homily for the pope at Sunday’s Mass for the Jubilee of Volunteers will be read by Cardinal Michael Czerny, who will also lead the rosary in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. local time on Saturday, gathering the faithful to pray for the Holy Father.

After a heartfelt audio message from the pope was played in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday evening, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni explained it was Francis’ desire to record and play the greeting to thank everyone who is praying for him.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Defending the life of the unborn should be a sign of being in solidarity "with all the discarded of the world," Pope Francis said in a message sent from his hospital room to an Italian pro-life group.

Italy's Movement for Life, "in harmony with the whole church," places at the center of its concern "the dignity of the person, and it privileges those who are weakest," the pope said in a message signed March 5 "from the Gemelli Polyclinic," where he has been hospitalized since Feb. 14. 

A scarf from a member of Italy's Movement for Life is seen at the base of a statue of St. John Paul II outside Rome's Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is receiving treatment March 8, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Thousands of people from all over Italy gathered at the Vatican March 8 to celebrate the movement's 50th anniversary and participate in events for the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering. Members of the movement staff 350 assistance centers across the country, run a 24-hour hotline, staff homes for pregnant women in difficulty and for new mothers and their babies and have helped establish 64 "baby hatches" at public hospitals where mothers in difficulty can leave their newborns.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, celebrated Mass for the group in St. Peter's Basilica and read the pope's message.

"Along with concrete solidarity, lived in the style of closeness and proximity to mothers in difficulty because of a difficult or unexpected pregnancy, you promote the culture of life in a broad sense," the pope's message said. "And you seek to do so with frankness, love and tenacity, keeping truth closely united with charity toward all." 

Women and their children attend a Mass marking the 50th anniversary of Italy's Movement for Life in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican March 8, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Building a "culture of life," the pope said, includes helping women who feel pressured into aborting their children.

"Continue to count on women (and) their capacity for acceptance, generosity and courage," the pope said. "Women must be able to count on the support of the entire civil and ecclesial community."

Pope Francis told the members that in the past 50 years, "unfortunately the throwaway culture has spread," which is why "more than ever there is a need for people of every age who concretely give of themselves to serve human life, especially when it is at its most fragile and vulnerable."

"A just society," he said, "is not built by eliminating the unwanted unborn, the elderly who are no longer autonomous or the incurably ill."

"The unborn child represents, par excellence, every man and woman who does not count and has no voice," Pope Francis wrote. "Taking their side means being in solidarity with all the discarded of the world."
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' continued "gradual, slight improvement" is a sign that he is responding to the therapy he is receiving at Rome's Gemelli hospital, his doctors said.

The 88-year-old pope has remained without a fever "at all times," and his gas exchanges -- where oxygen is added to the blood and carbon dioxide is removed -- "have improved," the doctors said in the medical bulletin released by the Vatican March 8.

Pope Francis has been hospitalized since Feb. 14 and was diagnosed Feb. 18 with double pneumonia, which makes it difficult for the lungs to efficiently exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. 

Drawings for Pope Francis cover the base of a statue of St. John Paul II outside Rome's Gemelli hospital March 8, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

The March 8 bulletin was the first time the doctors spoke of "a good response to therapy."

The pope's blood work also shows his condition is stable, they said.

However, the bulletin said, the doctors are "prudently" still saying that Pope Francis' prognosis is "guarded" as they await further improvements.

The Vatican press office confirmed the pope is still using high-flow oxygen through a nasal tube during the day and using "noninvasive mechanical ventilation" with a mask at night.

The bulletin also said that in the morning, "the Holy Father, after receiving the Eucharist, prayed in the chapel" of the suite of rooms reserved for the popes, "while in the afternoon he alternated rest with work activities."

Earlier in the day, the Vatican press office said Pope Francis was continuing his breathing exercises and physical therapy, which is designed to combat the problems associated with limited movement during a prolonged hospital stay.

While the pope is hospitalized, the work of Vatican offices and, particularly, events related to the Holy Year 2025 continue.

The Jubilee of the World of Volunteering March 8-9 brought thousands of people to the Vatican to make their way to the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, praying and singing along the way March 8. 

Members of the Italian National Confederation of Misericordia, a network of more than 700 groups involved in works of mercy and civil service, in Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering pray for Pope Francis outside Rome's Gemelli hospital March 8, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

In the morning, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, celebrated Mass for thousands of volunteers who belong to Italy's Movement for Life. The cardinal read a message from the pope, thanking the volunteers and encouraging them in their efforts to build a "culture of life" where the most vulnerable and fragile are cared for and welcomed.

Members of the National Confederation of Misericordia, a network of more than 700 groups involved in works of mercy and civil service, went from the Vatican to the Gemelli hospital to pray for Pope Francis and his health.

The pope asked Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, to preside over the main Mass for the Jubilee March 9 in St. Peter's Square and read the homily prepared for the pope.

Cardinal Czerny also was scheduled to lead the rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at 9 p.m. Rome time March 8.
 

Vatican City, Mar 7, 2025 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has expressed its solidarity with Muslims participating in the Ramadan fast, noting that Catholics also fast and do penance during the season of Lent and inviting greater dialogue and friendship between people of the two religions.

“Our world is thirsting for fraternity and genuine dialogue,” a March 7 message from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue said. “Together, Muslims and Christians can bear witness to this hope in the conviction that friendship is possible despite the burden of history and ideologies that promote exclusion.”

“Hope,” it continued, “is no mere optimism: It is a virtue rooted in faith in God, the Merciful, our Creator.”

In 2025, Ramadan runs from approximately Feb. 28 to March 29. It concludes with the three-day celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

The Christian season of Lent began on March 5 and will end on April 17 with the three days known as the Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday — followed by Easter Sunday.

“This year, Ramadan largely coincides with Lent, which for Christians is a period of fasting, supplication, and conversion to Christ,” the dicastery said. “This proximity in the spiritual calendar offers us a unique opportunity to walk side by side, Christians and Muslims, in a common process of purification, prayer, and charity.”

The Vatican’s annual message for Ramadan was signed by the dicastery’s new prefect, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, and its secretary, Father Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage.

Pope Francis appointed Koovakad prefect of the dicastery at the end of January, filling the vacancy left by Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, who died in late 2024.

An Indian from the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Koovakad was previously responsible for the organization of papal trips.

In its message, the interreligious dicastery noted similarities between the Muslim observance of Ramadan and the Catholic observance of Lent.

“By abstaining from food and drink, Muslims learn to control their desires and turn to what is essential. This time of spiritual discipline is an invitation to cultivate piety, the virtue that brings one closer to God and opens the heart to others,” it said. 

“In the Christian tradition, the holy season of Lent invites us to follow a similar path: Through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving we seek to purify our hearts and refocus on the One who guides and directs our lives,” it went on. “These spiritual practices, though expressed differently, remind us that faith is not merely about outward expressions but a path of inner conversion.”

The dicastery said it wanted to reflect on how Christians and Muslims can become “genuine brothers and sisters, bearing common witness to God’s friendship with all humanity.”

“Our trust in God,” Koovakad’s message underlined, “is a treasure that unites us, far beyond our differences. It reminds us that we are all spiritual, incarnate, beloved creatures, called to live in dignity and mutual respect.”

“What is more, we desire to become guardians of this sacred dignity by rejecting all forms of violence, discrimination, and exclusion,” the dicastery continued. “This year, as our two spiritual traditions converge in celebrating Ramadan and Lent, we have a unique opportunity to show the world that faith transforms people and societies and that it is a force for unity and reconciliation.”

CNA Staff, Mar 6, 2025 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

In a prerecorded message, Pope Francis thanked those gathered for the rosary prayer service in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday night.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square; I accompany you from here,” the Holy Father said in Spanish. “May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.” 

The Holy Father’s voice was hoarse, and he was noticeably out of breath in the brief audio message, which the Holy See Press Office said was recorded today. 

The message marks the first time Francis’ voice has been heard publicly since his hospitalization 21 days ago. It was met with applause by those gathered in the square. 

Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, led Thursday night’s rosary. 

“We gather in prayer for the health of the Holy Father Francis with Mary, Mother of the Church and of Good Counsel,” he said in his opening prayer.

“The Lord filled Mary of Nazareth with gifts so that she might become a worthy mother of the Redeemer. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she sought in everything and always the will of the Lord, and magnifying his mercy she adhered intimately to Christ. To her, constituted the mother of believers, we turn to a sure refuge,” he continued.

The Vatican announced on Feb. 24 that cardinals in Rome would lead a nightly rosary for Pope Francis with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin presiding over the inaugural gathering. The nightly rosary has been broadcast across EWTN’s television networks and digital platforms. 

“Starting this evening, the cardinals residing in Rome, along with all collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, responding to the sentiments of the people of God, will gather in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. to recite the holy rosary for the health of the Holy Father,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement at the time. 

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2025 / 14:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis said the Lenten journey reminds the Church that hope in Jesus Christ ultimately overcomes fears of fragility, weakness, and the brevity of life.

“Made of ashes and earth, we experience fragility through illness, poverty, and the hardships that can suddenly befall us and our families,” the pope said in his homily prepared for Ash Wednesday. 

“Lent, however, is also an invitation to rekindle our hope,” he said. “We are invited to lift our eyes to the One who rises from the depths of death and brings us from the ashes of sin and death to the glory of eternal life.”

The pope is continuing his medical treatment at Gemelli Hospital and was unable to attend the Mass held inside the Basilica of Santa Sabina located on Rome’s Aventine Hill.

“The ashes remind us that we are dust, but they also set us on a journey toward the hope to which we are called,” Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said, reading the papal text. “Jesus descended to the dust of the earth and, by his resurrection, has drawn us with himself into the Father’s heart.”

Focusing on Easter as the reason for undertaking the journey of Lent, the pope in his homily told the congregation of cardinals, bishops, and religious brothers and sisters of Benedictine and Dominican orders that the risen Lord is waiting for us “at the end of the road.”

“The hope of Easter that we journey toward reassures us of God’s forgiveness,” the Holy Father said, quoting his predecessor Benedict XVI. “Even while submerged in the ashes of sin, hope opens us up to the joyful acknowledgment of life.”

Acknowledging the “social and political realities of our time” — including war, ideological opposition, abuse of power, and exploitation — the 88-year-old head of the Church said the world’s problems should spur people to walk together, be open with one another, and turn to our God who wants peace and reconciliation.

“Let us turn back to God, let us return to him with all our hearts,” the pope said. “Let us learn from almsgiving to go beyond ourselves, sharing each other’s needs and nurturing the hope of a fairer world.” 

In his homily, the Holy Father also said accepting the fragility of our human condition “is good for us” as it reminds us who we really are “despite the masks we wear” and of our need for God.    

“It reshapes us, reduces the severity of our narcissism, brings us back to reality, and makes us more humble and open to one another: None of us is God; we are all on a journey,” he said.

“With this hope in our hearts, let us begin our journey. Let us be reconciled with God,” the pope reiterated at the end of his March 5 homily.