Vatican City, Mar 16, 2017 / 23:08 pm
With Easter only a month away, plans have already been set in the Vatican for the celebrations surrounding the big day, and the lead-up to Holy Week will be filled with several papal daytrips, Masses, and liturgies.
The Pope began Lent with his March 5-10 spiritual exercises alongside members of the Curia in Ariccia, a small town just outside of Rome.
Next on the schedule is a March 17 penitential service in St. Peter's Basilica, during which several individuals will go to confession with the Pope as part of his annual "24 Hours for the Lord" event, which this year takes place the third Friday and Saturday of Lent.
A worldwide initiative led by Pope Francis, the event was launched in 2014 under the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization and points to confession as the primary way to experience God's mercy.