Lent means following Jesus, taking responsibility for sin, says pope

Published: 2008-02-11

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To enter into Lent is to get serious about taking responsibility for one's own sinfulness and about following Jesus, especially in caring for the poor, Pope Benedict XVI said. Lent, the pope said, is "a time of particular commitment in the spiritual battle against the evil present in the world, in each of us and around us." Pope Benedict spoke about the meaning of Lent at his Feb. 10 midday Angelus prayer, just a few hours before beginning a weeklong retreat with his closest aides. During the week, all papal audiences are canceled. The pope said Lent is a time "to look evil in the face and prepare to battle against its effects and especially against its causes, to the point of the ultimate cause, which is Satan." He said, "It means not blaming the problem of evil on others, on society or on God, but recognizing one's own responsibility."

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