Pope Francis swings a thurible of incense during Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Feb. 17. (Photo: AFP)
Pope Francis and the top officials of the Roman Curia will not be heading out of town this year for the annual Lenten retreat.
They should have done that from Feb. 21-26, but the ongoing pandemic has forced him to cancel the forced spiritual march he began in 2014 during his first Lent as bishop of Rome.
That's when he decided to drag his "closest collaborators" out to a retreat center run by a religious order in the Alban Hills.
Actually, that's not true. They were transported out there by motor coach.