While Pope Francis remained hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, Italian Cardinal Angelo De Donatis celebrated the Ash Wednesday Mass in his place at the Basilica of Santa Sabina, March 5 in Rome.

On Wednesday, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the Major Penitentiary, celebrated the traditional Mass beginning Lent at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, and read the homily prepared by Pope Francis.

The Catholic Church opened the solemn Lenten season leading to Easter on Wednesday without the participation of Pope Francis, who is in the third week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia.

Made of ashes and earth, we experience fragility through illness, poverty, and the hardships that can suddenly befall us and our families,” the pope said.

Christians across the world observe a 40-day period called Lent. It represents the 40 days in the Bible that Jesus had spent fasting and praying in the desert. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and this year,

A priest holds a vessel of ashes as Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome March 5, 2025. Pope Francis, who is hospitalized, asked the cardinal to preside in his stead. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Pope Francis is resting after sleeping through the night with a ventilation mask as he undergoes hospital treatment for double pneumonia.

The Vatican said as of Tuesday morning, Francis no longer needed to wear the noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask that covers his nose and mouth to pump oxygen into his lungs and was just receiving supplemental oxygen through a nasal tube.

ROME—Pope Francis said the Lenten journey reminds the Church that hope in Jesus Christ ultimately overcomes fears of fragility, weakness, and the brevity of life. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, reading the papal text,