More than 500 priests, designated in 2016 by Pope Francis as missionaries of mercy with the mission of preaching and carrying the message of reconciliation, will meet from March 28 to 30 in Rome in the framework of the Jubileo de la Esperanza.
This is the sixth great event framed in the Holy Year that will focus on forgiveness and reconciliation, in a world that longs for the merciful message of the Gospel.
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As reported Vatican Newsthe Vatican news portal, Pope Francis may not be present due to his convalescence at Casa Santa Marta after spending 38 days hospitalized at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital.
However, he will send a written message to give his blessing to these priests who come from countries such as Italy, the United States, Poland, Brazil, Spain, France, Mexico, Germany, Slovakia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Colombia and India, among others.
“Forgiveness as a source of hope”
The Jubilee of Mercy will begin on Friday, March 28 at 10:00 (Local Horal) with a prayer in the Paolo VI classroom, which will mark the opening of the fourth world encounter of the missionaries. Organized by the Dicasteria for Evangelization, this event that is celebrated every two years, will have as its central theme Forgiveness as a source of hope and will take place in two sessions.
The first, theological, will be presented at 10:30 (Local Horal) by Mons. Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery, while the second, starting at 12:00 (local horal), will offer guidelines for the pastoral work of the missionaries.
At 16:00 (local horal) the celebration of the 12th edition of the 24 hours for the Lordin the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, an event reserved exclusively for the missionary priests of mercy.
This Lent Prayer and Reconciliation Initiative, promoted by Pope Francis since 2013, will also be held in all dioceses of the world on the eve of the IV Sunday of Lent, between Friday 28 and Saturday, March 29.
In this edition framed in Jubileo 2025, the Pontiff has chosen the motto You are my hope (Ps 71.5), which seeks to underline it importance to the sacrament of reconciliation in the center of the pastoral life of the Church.
In addition, the DICASTERY FOR EVANGELIZATION He has arranged on his free material website for Christian parishes and communities to celebrate this liturgy in a community way.
On Saturday, March 29, between 9:00 and 11:00 (Local Horal), the missionaries will have the opportunity to pilgrimage to the Holy Gate of the Basilica of San Pedro. Subsequently, they will meet to pray the Rosary in the Lourdes Grotto, located in the Vatican gardens.
The Jubilee of Mercy will culminate on Sunday, March 30 with the celebration of the Mass, chaired by Mons. Fisichella, in the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle at 10:00 (local horal). In the afternoon, the fifth concert of the series will be held The jubilee is culture With the free symphonic concert Missa Franciscoin honor of Ennio Morricone.
The sacred music of the renowned artist, who died at 91 in July 2020, will be in the center of the repertoire in which he will be interpreted Missa Franciscowhich premiered in 2015 on the occasion of the 200 years of the restoration of the Society of Jesus in the Church of the Gestu (Rome), the spiritual home of the Jesuits.
The pontiff could not attend the premiere but received the artist already his wife a few days before. In addition, the concert will continue with other significant pieces of Morricone such as Cross (1990), Hail Mary of Heaven (1995) y Cantata narration (2003).
The idea of the missionaries of Mercy emerged in May 2015, when the Vatican, through the Archbishop Rino Fisichella, then president of the Pontifical Council for the promotion of the new evangelization, launched a call to select priests who met certain requirements, including being convincing preachers of God’s mercy; be announcers of the joy of forgiveness; Being accessible, friendly and compassionate confessors and having a letter of presentation of your bishop, which will support your suitability for this ministry.
The following year, in 2016, the Jubilee of Mercy marked a milestone in the history of this group. That year, the Vatican selected 1,142 priests from different parts of the world to be the first missionaries of mercy. On Ash Wednesday, on February 10, 2016, they were sent on special mission by Pope Francis.
In this way, the so -called missionary priests of mercy are a special group of Catholic priests who have the power to forgive certain serious sins that are normally reserved for the Holy See.
These include: unauthorized ordination of a bishop (both who orders and the one that is ordered); Profanation of the Eucharist (sacrilege against consecrated bread and wine); violation of the secret of confession by a confessor; Apostasy, heresy or schism (rejection or abandonment of the Catholic faith) or conspiracy or violence against the Pope.
These missionaries are part of the Dicastery for evangelization and come from various parts of the world. His work is not limited to a particular diocese, but are sent to different places to bring the forgiveness and mercy of God to all the faithful. In addition, every two years, they must go to Rome to receive continuous training and maintain a close link with the Holy Father.
Currently, the number of priests instituted in this ministry exceeds 1,258 worldwide, according to data published by Vatican News.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.