At the request of the Holy See, Catholic dioceses worldwide have designated local cathedrals, other churches and shrines as local pilgrimage sites during the 2025 Jubilee Year.

“From the beginning of his pontificate, we have heard Pope Francis ask us to not forget to pray for him, and that is what we are doing,” said Cardinal José Tolenti-no de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, as he led thousands of people praying the rosary for the pope March 10 in St. Peter’s Square.

In his 2025 message for Lent, Pope Francis emphasised the continuous call to conversion—turning back to God and embracing a life that reflects our faith’s ideals.

For those who recognise Christ as the saviour, death is not an end or a form of “annihilation,” Pope Francis wrote in his general audience catechesis. It is a kind of “sister” that introduces the faithful departed to true life.

A CT scan on Monday 18 February “demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumo-nia, which required additional drug therapy,” according to the previous evening’s medical bulletin.

In his prepared text, Pope Francis focused on the birth of Jesus, the messianic king, in a humble stable.

Christians are called to follow Mary’s example by responding to God’s love with action, reaching out to others instead of withdrawing from the world, Pope Francis said.

During the Mass, Pope Francis installed 40 lay men and women to the ministry of lector, a ministry he formally opened to women in 2021.

The true power of communications, Pope Francis said, lies in building connec-tions and crafting “narratives of our hope,” rather than focusing on “self-promotion” or “the celebration of our own initiatives.”

In his main address, the Holy Father continued a series of talks on “Jesus Christ our hope,” which is the theme for his weekly catechesis throughout the Jubilee Year, by looking at the effect of God’s transforming power on a young Mary in Nazareth.