By Kristina Millare, Catholic News Agency
March 6, 2025
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital due to bilateral pneumonia, delivered a powerful Lenten message emphasizing the acceptance of human fragility and the rekindling of hope in Jesus Christ. His homily for Ash Wednesday was read by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis during Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina on Rome’s Aventine Hill (Catholic News Agency).
Lent: A Journey from Ashes to Hope
In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the Lenten season as a time to embrace the reality of human weakness while also renewing trust in the hope that Christ brings. “Made of ashes and earth, we experience fragility through illness, poverty, and the hardships that can suddenly befall us and our families,” he wrote. “Lent, however, is also an invitation to rekindle our hope. 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” (Vatican News).
The Pope explained that the ashes imposed on Ash Wednesday remind the faithful of their mortality but also point toward the hope found in Jesus. “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 De Donatis read on behalf of the Holy Father (Catholic News Agency).
Addressing Global Challenges Through Faith
Pope Francis also acknowledged the pressing challenges of today’s world, including war, ideological divisions, abuses of power, and social injustices. He called on the faithful to embrace Lent as a time of reconciliation and renewal. “Let us turn back to God, let us return to Him with all our hearts,” he urged. “Let us learn from almsgiving to go beyond ourselves, sharing each other’s needs and nurturing the hope of a fairer world” (Vatican News).
The Pope underscored that recognizing and accepting human fragility is essential for spiritual growth. “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 emphasized (Catholic News Agency).
A Message of Hope for Easter
Focusing on the Resurrection as the culmination of the Lenten journey, Pope Francis reminded the congregation of cardinals, bishops, and religious present at the Mass that Christ is waiting for us at the end of the road. “The hope of Easter that we journey toward reassures us of God’s forgiveness,” he said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI. “Even while submerged in the ashes of sin, hope opens us up to the joyful acknowledgment of life” (Vatican News).
Pope Francis remains under medical care and has not yet been given a discharge date. Meanwhile, he continues to engage in prayer and reflection from his hospital room, offering his Lenten message to the faithful worldwide.
Sources: Catholic News Agency, Vatican News
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