The pope asks to abandon the “dictatorship” of the superficial

Pope Francis kicked off the Catholic Lent period of sacrifice and reflection with an Ash Wednesday call to abandon what he called the “dictatorship” of heavy agendas and superficial needs.

Due to knee pain, Francis did not take part in the traditional Ash Wednesday procession between two churches on Rome’s Aventine Hill. Instead, he celebrated an afternoon mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina, where worshipers gathered for the Catholic ritual of receiving ashes as a symbol of human mortality.

Catholic Lent is a time that can include fasting, prayers and works of charity in preparation for Holy Week, which falls on April 9 this year. During the ceremony, Francisco was smeared with ash on his forehead as a choir sang hymns.

Lent is a time to “put aside the pretense of self-sufficiency and be at the center of things, to be the best in our class, to think that with our own abilities we can succeed in life and transform the world around us” . , said the pontiff in his homily.

“The ashes we received this afternoon tell us that any presumption of self-sufficiency is false and that self-idolatry is destructive, locking us into isolation and loneliness,” he said.

Instead, Lent serves to “remind us that the world is bigger than our narrow personal needs, and to rediscover the joy not of hoarding material possessions, but of caring for those who are poor or afflicted.” , said Francois.

“Let us examine our conscience, in order to free ourselves from the dictatorship of our busy schedules and our superficial needs, and choose the things that are really worth,” the pontiff asked.

In his homily, Francis highlighted one of the themes of his pontificate: attention to the individuality of those in need, especially the poor.

“Giving gifts should not be an impulsive gesture to ease the conscience, but a way of touching the suffering of the poor with our own hands and hearts,” the pope said.

Holy Week services, which begin on April 2 with Palm Sunday and include the Via Crucis procession to the Colosseum, usually draw large numbers of pilgrims and tourists to Rome and the Vatican.