Penitential Celebration over Pope Francis will preside on Friday, March 9, at 17:00, in St. Peter’s Basilica

“24 hours for the Lord” is an initiative, promoted by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization.

The 2018  theme  is “With you is forgiveness – Psalm 130:4”, it proposes an extraordinary opening of many churches, from the evening of Friday 9 March until late night, to allow the participation to a lot of people in the Eucharistic Adoration and confession.

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for Lent 2018
Ibove all, I urge the members of the Church to take up the Lenten journey with enthusiasm, sustained by almsgiving, fasting and prayer. If, at times, the flame of charity seems to die in our own hearts, know that this is never the case in the heart of God! He constantly gives us a chance to begin loving anew.

One such moment of grace will be, again this year, the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative, which invites the entire Church community to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation in the context of Eucharistic adoration. In 2018, inspired by the words of Psalm 130:4, “With you is forgiveness”, this will take place from Friday, 9 March to Saturday, 10 March. In each diocese, at least one church will remain open for twenty-four consecutive hours, offering an opportunity for both Eucharistic adoration and sacramental confession.