The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Matilda (895-968) (also known as "Maud" or "Maude"), Queen of Germany and wife of King Henry I. She was well known throughout the realm for her generosity, she taught the ignorant, comforted the sick, and visited prisoners. She was betrayed by Otto after Henry's death when he falsely accused her of financial mismanagement.

Have you heard of the 15 Secret Tortures of Our Lord Jesus Christ? This is a great devotion for the season of Lent!

After a near-death experience, Catholic actress, model, and television host Joelle Maryn hopes to inspire others in their God-given purpose through her new book, "Become the Fire."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis spent the 12th anniversary of his election to the papacy undergoing physiotherapy at Rome's Gemelli hospital, but he was well enough to celebrate it in little ways.

Along with the health care workers treating him, the pope -- who has been hospitalized for nearly a month -- had a small celebration to mark the anniversary of his election, complete with a cake and candles, the Vatican press office said March 13. 

Hundreds of cards sent from children all around the world also were delivered to Pope Francis, wishing him a happy anniversary as well as a speedy recovery, the press office added.

Drawings for Pope Francis are placed at the base of a statue of St. John Paul II outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 6, 2025, where the pope has been hospitalized since Feb. 14, receiving treatment for double pneumonia. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

The 88-year-old pope continued the therapies prescribed, including pharmacological treatment and physical therapy, it said.

A chest X-ray had confirmed continued improvements in his condition, the Vatican said the previous day, though doctors did not state that his double pneumonia had fully cleared.

The pope has been following the Roman Curia's Lenten retreat by video, listening to the daily meditations led by Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household. While retreat participants gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall could not see the pope, Father Pasolini opened his March 13 reflection with a direct message for him.

"Good morning, and a greeting with deep affection and gratitude to our Holy Father on this very special day: the 12th anniversary of his election," he said. 

Since 12 is a number associated with completeness or fullness in the Bible, he said, "we can truly thank God because the gift of Pope Francis to the church and the world is complete. And certainly, in these 12 years, he has had the opportunity to express himself in fullness."

Before their evening meditation, Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, read a message from the Curia sent to Pope Francis to mark his anniversary. 

Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, leads the Lenten retreat for cardinals and senior officials of the Roman Curia in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican March 13, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

From the Vatican and from many other places around the world, he said, "the prayer of the people of God rises unceasingly, and we join ourselves in spiritual communion."

"Holy Father, in this Jubilee year, we grow in hope that the message of peace and fraternity, to which we are constantly called by your magisterium, may spread among nations and among all people of goodwill," he said, "and that in everyone the desire to be disciples of the Lord, witnesses of the Gospel, and builders of the kingdom of God may grow."

Archbishop Filippo Iannone, prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, led the recitation of the rosary for Pope Francis which has been taking place every night since shortly after his hospitalization.

"With the recitation of the rosary, let us invoke Mary, health of the sick, for the health of the Holy Father Francis," he said.

After taking place at 6 p.m. Rome time in the St. Paul VI Audience Hall to coincide with the Curia's retreat, the nightly rosary for Pope Francis will return to St. Peter's Square March 14 at 7:30 p.m. local time.

In certain ways the Lenten Christian is like the Jew in exile. He is still exposed to the attacks of the enemies. Lent, like the exile in Babylon, is a time of cleansing. It intends to create in us a greater desire and longing for deliverance which God has promised us through our savior Jesus Christ. All the chants and prayers in today's Mass are urgent pleas for God's mercy and help.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding allow us to love like Jesus.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' condition continues to be stable and a chest x-ray "confirmed the improvements recorded in the previous days," his doctors said, but without saying his double pneumonia had cleared up completely.

The 88-year-pope is still using high-flow oxygen through a nasal tube during the day and "noninvasive mechanical ventilation" with a mask overnight, said the medical bulletin published March 12 by the Vatican press office.

In their bulletin of March 10, the pope's doctors had said that the pope's continued stability and incremental improvements in his breathing and blood tests had led them to lift their "guarded" prognosis, although they insisted he continued to need hospitalization. The bulletin March 12 continued to speak of the "complexity" of the pope's illness.

The physicians leading the team of doctors treating Pope Francis have met reporters only once and that was Feb. 21, when the pope had been in the Gemelli hospital for one week. 

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, director of medical and surgical sciences at Rome's Gemelli hospital, speaks to the press at the hospital Feb. 21, 2025. Looking on is Dr. Luigi Carbone, vice director of the Vatican health service. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

The team is led by Dr. Sergio Alfieri, director of medical and surgical sciences at Rome's Gemelli hospital, and Dr. Luigi Carbone, vice director of the Vatican health service. At their February news conference, they said the whole team of doctors and Pope Francis himself approve what is released by the Vatican in the evening medical bulletins.

Pope Francis has continued watching the livestream of the morning and afternoon meditations offered to cardinals and senior members of the Roman Curia at their annual Lenten retreat, the bulletin said. He also "received the Eucharist, devoted himself to prayer" and then to physical therapy, which is designed to prevent the problems associated with limited movement during a prolonged hospital stay. 

Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, leads the Lenten retreat for cardinals and senior officials of the Roman Curia in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican March 12, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, began the Curia retreat March 12 by saying, "Good morning, and may it be a good morning especially for our Holy Father, to whom we offer our greetings, our affection and our prayers at the beginning of this day."

The dates for the traditional Lenten retreat were announced before Pope Francis was hospitalized Feb. 14. During the retreat, he does not hold his weekly general audience and usually does not schedule private audiences either.

For the first three Wednesdays that he was hospitalized, the Vatican press office published the text of the catechesis prepared for the general audiences. But since no audience was scheduled for March 12, no text was released.

A group of 85 pilgrims from Russia had planned their Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome before the date for the retreat was announced and before Pope Francis was hospitalized.

So, led by Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of Moscow, they walked more than two miles to the Gemelli hospital March 11 and spent an hour praying for Pope Francis, reciting the rosary in Russian and a Marian litany in Latin.

"We understood that we could not see him physically, but we tried to meet him spiritually, to intensify our spiritual bonds with him," Moscow Auxiliary Bishop Nicolai Dubinin, who also was part of the group, told Vatican News March 12. "Each pilgrim experienced this moment intensely. The meeting with the pope had been highly anticipated, but we felt very strongly the closeness with him."

The rosary, recited at the end of the Curia's retreat March 12 was led by Cardinal George Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the main organizer of Pope Francis' trips abroad.

Members of the Curia, he said, were joining "the Christian faithful and members of other religious traditions who are offering prayers and sacrifices for the Holy Father."

"And also with many nonbelievers who appreciate and love Pope Francis and are worried about his health, we entrust the Holy Father and all the sick to the maternal protection of Mary," the cardinal said.

"We unite our invocations to those of the poor because their prayers are the most effective, as sacred Scripture suggests, especially in the Book of Sirach, which says, 'Prayer from the lips of the poor is heard at once,'" Cardinal Koovakad said.

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Luigi Giovanni Orione, F.D.P. (1872-1940) (also known as Aloysius). He was an Italian priest who was active in answering the social needs of his nation as it faced the social upheavals of the late 19th century. To this end, he founded a religious institute of men. St. Luigi was canonized by St. John Paul II on May 16, 2004.

"The Christian experiences and lives a paradox. He possesses joy in sorrow, fulfillment in exile, light in darkness, peace in turmoil, consolation in dryness, contentment in pain, and hope in desolation."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As Pope Francis prepared to spend the 12th anniversary of his election at Rome's Gemelli hospital, people at the Vatican and around the world were responding to his most frequent personal request.

"From the beginning of his pontificate, we have heard Pope Francis ask us to not forget to pray for him, and that is what we are doing," said Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, as he led thousands of people praying the rosary for the pope March 10 in St. Peter's Square.

"It is not only Christians who are doing so, but the faithful of other religions and even many nonbelievers also are joining their hearts around Pope Francis," the cardinal said.

Pope Francis has made requesting prayers a hallmark of his papacy and a standard way to end a letter or speech. 

People join in the recitation of the rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Feb. 28, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

When the 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI March 13, 2013, and came out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, his words stunned the crowd:

"Before the bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me -- the prayer of the people asking a blessing for their bishop. Let us make, in silence, this prayer: your prayer over me," he said, and bowed to receive the blessing.

And again, before he said good night, he told the crowd, "Pray for me."

Probably not a day has gone by since then that he hasn't made the request out loud or in writing.

Four months after his election, on his flight back from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a journalist asked him why he always asked for people's prayers. "It isn't normal, we are not used to hearing a pope ask so often that people pray for him," the reporter said.

"I have always asked this," the pope responded. "When I was a priest, I asked, but less frequently. I began to ask more often when I was working as a bishop, because I sense that if the Lord does not help in this work of assisting the people of God to go forward, it can't be done."

"I am truly conscious of my many limitations, of many problems, of also being a sinner -- as you know! -- and I have to ask for this," he said. "It is a habit, but a habit that comes from my heart."

Pope Francis also often thanks people for their prayers. 

Members of the "Political Fraternity" project of the Chemin Neuf lay movement lay hands on and pray for Pope Francis at the end of an audience May 16, 2022, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

"I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world," the pope wrote in his text for the Angelus prayer March 2. "I feel all your affection and closeness, and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am 'carried' and supported by all God's people. Thank you all!"

And while no photos of the pope have been released since he entered the hospital, his labored voice was broadcast in St. Peter's Square March 6 in an audio message thanking the gathered faithful for their prayers.

Hospitalized since Feb. 14 with bronchitis and difficulty breathing, Pope Francis was later diagnosed with double pneumonia. His doctors told reporters he has chronic lung conditions: bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis, caused by years of respiratory problems and repeated bouts of bronchitis. 

In his autobiography, Pope Francis wrote about the surgery he underwent at the age of 20 to remove the upper lobe of his right lung after suffering a severe respiratory infection.

"It was extremely painful. Extremely," he said.

When writing or talking about the pope's lung surgery, people often mistakenly assume doctors had removed the entire right lung. It even was an issue at the 2013 conclave that elected him. 

Priests pray over Pope Francis during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 5, 2022. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

During the lunch break between the third and fourth ballots of the conclave, he wrote, a group of European cardinals invited him to sit with them. They began asking so many questions on so many topics "that I found myself thinking: Hah, it seems like an exam."

At the end of the meal, he said, a Spanish-speaking cardinal asked him, "Do you have a lung missing?"

After explaining that only the upper lobe had been cut away in 1957, Pope Francis recalled that "the cardinal turned red, uttered a swear word and clenched his teeth: 'These last-minute maneuvers!' he exclaimed."

"It was then that I began to understand" he was being seriously considered as a candidate to succeed Pope Benedict. It happened that evening with the conclave's fifth ballot.

The Catholic Church in Pope Francis' native Argentina planned to celebrate the pope's 12th anniversary March 13 with special Masses in every diocese.

Archbishop Marcelo Colombo of Mendoza, president of the Argentine bishops' conference, said the Masses, in addition to offering prayers for the pope's continued recovery, would be a "public witness of our gratitude for his generous dedication, which has borne abundant fruits of pastoral love over the years."
 

12 years of Pope Francis

When he came out on to the balcony for the first time after his election, Pope Francis asked people to pray for him. He's been making that same request for 12 years.