Pope Francis is continuing to break from papal traditions and “Vatican-centric” ideology, by holding a spiritual retreat during Lent in a town about 15 miles away from the Vatican. According to this story, the pope will take part in a week of prayer and preaching in the town of Ariccia, bringing a group of bishops and cardinals with him. In typical Pope Francis fashion, he rode he bus—not a limo, luxury car or custom Popemobile—with them. In a sermon leading up to the retreat, Pope Francis spoke about the need to remember the dangers of temptations related to the love of money and power during Lent, saying, “This gives us strength and supports us in the fight against the worldly mentality that lowers man to the level of basic needs, causing him to lose the hunger for what is true, good and beautiful, the hunger for God and His love” …
