Although he is in retreat in the hills of Rome, immersed in Lenten Spiritual Exercises, Pope Francis is following the situation in Syria with deep concern.

Speaking to Vatican Radio, Archbishop Mario Zenari, the Apostolic Nuncio in Damascus, says “the Pope is constantly adjourned of developments and his prayers are tuned to the suffering of the people”.
A three-day offensive this week has seen at least 220 people abducted by so-called Islamic State militants, most of them from Assyrian Christian villages in the north east…

Pope Francis and the Roman Curia are in the middle of their weeklong Spiritual Exercises in Ariccia, outside Rome. 

According to L’Osservatore Romano, the retreat master, Carmelite Father Bruno Secondin, has shared reflections with the Curia on the prophet Elias. In his reflection, Fr Secondin compared the worship of the false idols in Elias’ time with a modern-day religiosity that is interested in the superficial and in measures of faith “according to statistics.” He called the participants to authentic and “audacious” worship. 

The Pope and the Curia will conclude their Spiritual Exercises on Friday…

• Pope Francis has declared Armenian poet and monk, Saint Gregory of Narek, a Doctor of the Universal Church.  Meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints on Saturday ahead of his departure for Aricca on Lenten retreat, the Pope confirmed the proposal put forward by the Plenary Session of the Congregation to confer the title of Doctor of the Universal Church on the 10th century saint…

On 22nd of February 2015, Pope Francis and other members of the Roman Curia began their annual spiritual retreat on the first Sunday of Lent.   

The retreat is taking place in the town of Ariccia, in the Casa Divin Maestro centre, about 20 miles south of Rome. The Pope is staying there, along with other members of the Roman Curia, from Sunday 22nd to Friday the 27th…