The Pope will not be present at the Ash Wednesday celebration. This year it will be presided over by Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, the Major Penitentiary.
Like every year it will not take place in the Vatican but on the Aventine Hill. It begins with a procession that leaves from the church of San Anselmo and whose destination is the basilica of Santa Sabina, of the Dominicans.
The homily usually reflects on the period of Lent; the liturgical season of preparation for Easter.
POPE FRANCIS
It means looking within and becoming aware of who we really are, removing the masks we often wear, slowing down the rush of our frenzies, embracing life and the truth of ourselves. Life is not an act, and Lent invites us to come down from the stage of make-believe to return to the heart, to the truth of who we are.
Normally the pope does a retreat a few days later. In fact, this year it should begin on Sunday afternoon, March 9, and end on the 14th, depending on whether he is still in the hospital.
JH
