What is Baptism and what is its symbolism?

The sacrament of baptism signifies and accomplishes death to sin and entrance into the life of the Blessed Trinity through configuration to the paschal mystery of Christ. In the Latin Church, the minister pours water three times over the head of the candidate and pronounces: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

Thanks to Baptism, we are purified of original sin and become part of the Church and the mystical body of Christ. Once we have received the sacrament of Baptism, we have access to the other sacraments and begin to embark on the path of the Spirit. Purified by God's unconditional forgiveness, we become, to all intents and purposes, his children.

«It frees us from sin and makes us children of God. (...) We renew and confirm our own Baptism, the sacrament that makes us Christians, freeing us from sin and transforming us into children of God, by the power of his Spirit of life. (...) It introduces us all into the Church, which is the people of God, made up of men and women of every nation and culture, regenerated by his Spirit.», Pope Leo XIV, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 2026.

What is Baptism?

Holy Baptism is the foundation of the whole Christian life, the portico of life in the spirit and the door that opens access to the other sacraments. Through baptism we are freed from sin and regenerated as children of God, we become members of Christ and are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1213

Río Jordan Betania Bautismo Cristo
Al-Maghtas, The site where John supposedly baptized Jesus Christ east of the Jordan River.

Brief history of the sacrament

The word baptism comes from the Greek βάπτισμα, baptisma, “immersion". That's exactly what it is, an immersion in purifying water.

The symbology of the water and its saving powerin the Old Testament, it was considered to be instrument of God's will. It happened in the Flood, and in the passage of the Red Sea by Moses and the chosen people to flee Egypt. Also in the baptism of St. John the Baptist, which is the closest thing to the sacrament of Baptism as we know it today.

Jesus came to John to receive Baptism; he truly accepts his own destiny. Coming up out of the water, Jesus sees the heavens open and the Holy Spirit appear in the form of a dove, while from heaven a voice is heard: «You are my beloved Son, my beloved.

The Holy Spirit descends upon him, investing him in his role, transforming him into the Lamb of God. It is the beginning of a new life and the premonition of death, which will lead to the Resurrection. The destiny of a man and of all mankind is achieved on the banks of the Jordan.

From the day of Pentecost, baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit or descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus, begins the mission of the Apostles and the beginning of the Christian Church.

From this moment on Peter and the other disciples begin to preach the need to repent of their sins and receive Baptism in order to obtain forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

"We Christians live in the world and are not exempt from darkness and gloom. However, the grace of Christ received in Baptism brings us out of the night and into the light of day. The most beautiful exhortation we can make to one another is to remind ourselves of our baptism, because through it we have been born for God, being new creatures." Pope Francis, General Audience August 2017.

Why was Jesus baptized?

Jesus begins his public life after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan and, after his Resurrection, he confers this mission to his Apostles: «Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you».

Our Lord willingly submitted to the baptism of St. John where the Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father manifested Jesus as His beloved Son.

With his Death and Resurrection, Christ opened to all men the fountains of grace. Therefore, the baptism of the Church erases original sin and makes us children of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 1223, 1224, 1225.

Since when have you been baptized in the Church?

Since the day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy baptism. In fact, St. Peter declared to the crowd moved by his preaching: "Repent [...] and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The Apostles and their co-workers offer baptism to whoever believes in Jesus: Jews, God-fearing men, pagans.

Baptism is always linked to faith: "Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household," St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. The account in the Acts of the Apostles continues: "the jailer immediately received baptism, he and all his household".

According to the Apostle Paul, through Baptism the believer participates in the death of Christ; he is buried and rises with Him: «Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life» (Rom 6:3-4).

The baptized have "clothed themselves with Christ". Through the Holy Spirit, baptism is a bath that purifies, sanctifies and justifies. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1226, 1227.

Symbology of Baptism

Baptism, like all the Sacraments, implies the use of sacred elements in order to impart it. Because they are sacred, they are used only for that purpose and must be blessed by the bishop or a priest. There are also symbolic gestures and non-verbal signs that together give light to this precious and indispensable sacrament in the life of a Christian.

There are many symbols of baptism so that we humans are able to imagine what is happening in the soul of the baptized person, which we cannot see with our eyes:

bautismo

Holy water

Water is the central symbol of the sacrament of Baptism., represents the love of God. It is poured on the forehead of the baptized as a source of inexhaustible love. It has the function of purifying, washing the body and soul of sin. Water is also an element universally recognized as a symbol of life.

At the moment the priest pours water three times over the head of the baptized, the faithful are united with Christ both in his death and in his resurrection and glorification.

As Pope Leo explained, «My dear brothers and sisters, God does not look at the world from afar, at the margins of our lives, our afflictions and our hopes. He comes among us with the wisdom of his Word made flesh, making us part of an amazing plan of love for all humanity.

That is why John the Baptist, filled with astonishment, asked Jesus: «And do you come to me» (v. 14). Yes, in his holiness, the Lord is baptized like all sinners, to reveal the infinite mercy of God. The only-begotten Son, in whom we are brothers and sisters, comes indeed to serve and not to dominate, to save and not to condemn. He is the redeeming Christ; he takes upon himself what is ours, including sin, and gives us what is his, that is, the grace of a new and eternal life.» (St. Peter's Square. Sunday, January 11, 2026, Angelus).

Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan at the beginning of his public ministry (cf. Mt. 3:13-17), not out of necessity, but out of redemptive solidarity. On that occasion, water is definitively indicated as the material element of the sacramental sign. «Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God» (Jn 3:5).

Light of the paschal candle

In the Old Testament, the Light, was a symbol of faith, With the advent of Jesus, this symbolism has been enriched with new fundamental meanings in the life of the Christian. The light in baptism is a symbol that represents the guide on the path of encounter with Christ which in turn is light in our lives and in the world. It also symbolizes the resurrection of Christ.

Pope Francis said in a general audience: «This light is a treasure that we must preserve and transmit to others. The Christian is called to be a "Christophore," a bearer of Jesus to the world. Through concrete signs, we manifest the presence and love of Jesus to others, especially to those who are going through difficult situations. If we are faithful to our Baptism, we will spread the light of God's hope and transmit reasons for life to future generations».

Chrism, holy oil or oil of the catechumens

Holy oil is a perfumed and consecrated oil used in the sacrament of Baptism. The anointing with chrism oil symbolizes the full diffusion of grace.. The priest uses the oil to trace a cross on the chest and another between the shoulder blades of the baptized person. He can also use it to anoint the head, stamping it with a seal that consecrates it to its new role.

All this symbolizes strength in the fight against temptations, a kind of shield against sin. The purpose of this symbol of baptism is to consecrate the entrance of the Christian into the great family of the church by symbolizing the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It is also used in the sacrament of confirmation, priestly ordination and anointing of the faithful. patients. The Holy Oil is blessed once a year by the bishop during the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday.

"Moreover, the heavens are opened, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father confirms the divine filiation of Christ: events that reveal in the Head of the future Church what will later be sacramentally realized in her members." (Jn 3:5)

The white garment

The white garment symbolizes that the baptized person has "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27): he has risen with Christ.

The purity of the soul without stain, symbolized by the white garment, after the sacrament of Baptism, the profound change and inner renewal that the sacrament has brought to those who have received it. White is a symbol of a new life, the new dignity that covers the baptized. In ancient times, those who were to be baptized wore a new white robe before joining the other faithful in the Church.

«In baptism, our Father God has taken possession of our lives, has incorporated us into Christ's and has sent us the Holy Spirit. The Lord, Holy Scripture tells us, has saved us by making us reborn through baptism, renewing us by the Holy Spirit, whom He has poured out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, justified by grace, we may become heirs of eternal life according to the hope that we have.». Item 128. It is Christ who passes, in the chapter The Great Unknown, Saint Josemaría Escrivá.

The four gifts of the sacrament of Baptism:

Message of Leo XIV for Lent 2026

Dear brothers and sisters:

The Lent is the time in which the Church, With maternal solicitude, she invites us to place the mystery of God at the center of our lives, so that our faith may regain its impetus and our hearts may not be lost in the worries and distractions of everyday life.

All the way to conversion begins when we allow ourselves to be reached by the Word and welcome it with docility of spirit. There is, therefore, a link between the gift of the Word of God, the space of hospitality that we offer it and the transformation that it brings about. For this reason, the Lenten journey becomes a propitious occasion to listen to the voice of the Lord and to renew our decision to follow Christ, walking with him on the road that leads up to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his coming is fulfilled. Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Listen: Leo XIV's request to live Lent 2026

This year, I would like to draw attention, first of all, to the importance of giving space to the Word through the listen, since the willingness to listen is the first sign with which the desire to enter into a relationship with the other is manifested.

God himself, in revealing himself to Moses from the burning bush, shows that listening is a distinctive feature of his being: «I have seen the oppression of my people, who are in Egypt, and I have heard the cries of their pain» (Ex 3,7). Listening to the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of a story of liberation, in which the Lord also involves Moses, sending him to open a way of salvation for his children reduced to slavery.

He is a God who attracts us, who today also moves us with the thoughts that make his heart vibrate. For this reason, listening to the Word in the liturgy educates us to listen more truly to reality.

Among the many voices that cross our personal and social lives, those that are Sacred Scriptures make us capable of recognizing the voice that cries out from suffering and injustice, so that it does not go unanswered. To enter into this inner disposition of receptivity means to allow ourselves to be instructed by God today to listen to the voice of the Lord. like He even recognized that «the condition of the poor represents a cry that, in the history of humanity, constantly challenges our lives, our societies, political and economic systems, and especially the Church». [1]

Fasting: an ancient and irreplaceable ascetic exercise

If Lent is a time of listening, the fasting constitutes a concrete practice that disposes one to accept the Word of God. Abstinence from food, in fact, is a very ancient and irreplaceable ascetical exercise on the path of conversion. Precisely because it involves the body, it makes more evident what we are “hungry for” and what we consider essential for our sustenance. It serves, therefore, to discern and order the “appetites”, to keep awake the hunger and thirst for justice, to subtract it from resignation, to educate it so that it becomes prayer and responsibility towards our neighbor.

St. Augustine, with spiritual subtlety, lets us glimpse the tension between the present time and the future realization that runs through this care of the heart, When he observes: «It is proper for mortal men to hunger and thirst after righteousness, just as it is proper for the afterlife to be filled with righteousness. Of this bread, of this food, the angels are full; but men, while they hunger, are enlarged; while they are enlarged, they are enlarged; while they are enlarged, they are made capable; and, made capable, in due time they will be filled». [2] 

Fasting, understood in this sense, allows us not only to discipline desire, to purify it and make it freer, but also to expand it, so that it is directed towards God and oriented towards the good.

Fasting with faith and humility

However, if fasting is to preserve its evangelical truth and avoid the temptation to make the heart proud, it must always be lived in faith and humility. It requires remaining rooted in communion with the Lord, because «he does not truly fast who does not know how to nourish himself on the Word of God». [3] As a visible sign of our interior commitment to distance ourselves, with the help of grace, from sin and evil, fasting must also include other forms of deprivation designed to make us acquire a more sober lifestyle, since «only austerity makes the Christian life strong and authentic». [4]

For this reason, I would like to invite you to a very concrete and often unappreciated form of abstinence, that is, to refrain from using words that affect and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin to disarm language, renouncing hurtful words, immediate judgment, speaking ill of those who are absent and unable to defend themselves, slander. Let us strive instead to learn to measure words and cultivate kindness: in the family, among friends, in the workplace, on social networks, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. Then, many words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.  

Carta de León XIV con motivo de la Asamblea Presbiteral de la Arquidiocesis de Madrid
Together

Finally, Lent emphasizes the communitarian dimension of listening to the Word and the practice of fasting. Scripture also underlines this aspect in many ways. For example, when it recounts in the book of Nehemiah that the people gathered to listen to the public reading of the book of the Law and, practicing fasting, prepared themselves for confession of faith and worship, in order to renew the covenant with God (cf. Ne 9,1-3).

In the same way, our parishes, families, ecclesial groups and religious communities are called to make a shared journey during Lent, in which listening to the Word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor and of the earth, becomes a way of life in common, and fasting sustains real repentance. In this horizon, conversion concerns not only the conscience of the individual, but also the style of relationships, the quality of dialogue, the capacity to allow oneself to be challenged by reality and to recognize what really guides desire, both in our ecclesial communities and in humanity thirsting for justice and reconciliation.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us ask for the grace to live a Lent that will make our ears more attentive to God and to those most in need. Let us ask for the strength of a fast that also reaches the tongue, so that the words that hurt may diminish and the space for the voice of others may grow. And let us commit ourselves so that our communities become places where the cry of those who suffer finds a welcome and listening generates paths of liberation, making us more willing and diligent to contribute to build the civilization of the love.

I heartily bless all of you and your Lenten journey.

Vatican City, February 5, 2026, memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr.

Leo XIV

7 Sundays: St. Joseph, a father's heart

The seven Sundays of St. Joseph are a traditional devotion of the Church that invites you to prepare spiritually for its solemnity, the March 19, meditating each week on the seven joys and the seven sorrows of the saint.

The practice, which usually begins in the seventh Sunday before March 19, encourages the faithful to to receive Communion in honor of St. Joseph every Sunday and to pray the traditional prayers linked to their seven sorrows and joys. 

This devotional exercise reflects episodes from the life of St. Joseph such as the doubt before the mystery of the Annunciationthe poverty at the birth of Jesus and the flight to Egypt, along with joys such as the angel's message and the life together with Jesus and Mary in Nazareth. 

In this context of reflection and preparation, the Pope Leo XIV has given pastoral emphasis to the figure of St. Joseph in his recent public interventions. During the audiences of December 2025, the pontiff underlined the importance of trusting in God's mercy and placing personal and community life in His hands, encouraging the faithful to see in St. Joseph an example of simple fidelity to the divine will. 

«Piety and charity, mercy and abandonment; these are the virtues of the man of Nazareth that the liturgy proposes to us today, so that they may accompany us in these last days of Advent, towards Holy Christmas.» The seven sunday devotion thus offers a concrete way to to approach St. Joseph as a model of faith and dedication in the ordinary life., The Pope invited us to meditate each Sunday on one of the sorrows and joys that marked his life in the service of the Holy Family and the whole Church.

Siete domingos de san José

Seven Sundays of St. Joseph: a journey through his sorrows and joys

The seven Sundays of St. Joseph invite us to retrace, week by week, the moments of light and shadow in the life of the Holy Patriarch. By contemplating his joys and difficulties, this custom of the Church helps us to grow in intimacy with him and prepares us to celebrate his solemnity on March 19.

First Sunday of St. Joseph 

First pain: When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they lived together, she was found to have conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:18). 

First joy: the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus (Mt 1:20-21).

Second Sunday of St. Joseph

Second pain: He came to his own, and his own received him not (Jn 1:11). 

Second joy: They went in haste and found Mary, Joseph and the child reclining in the manger (Lk 2:16).

Third Sunday of St. Joseph

Third pain: When the eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him, they called his name Jesus, as the angel had called him before he was conceived in the womb (Lk 2:21).

Third joy: she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21).

Fourth Sunday of St. Joseph

Fourth pain: Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, "Look, this man has been set up as a sign of contradiction so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Lk 2:34-35). 

Fourth joy: For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all peoples, a light to enlighten the nations (Lk 2:30-31).

Fifth Sunday of St. Joseph

Fifth pain: the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to him: Arise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to seek the child to kill him (Mt 2:13). 

Fifth joy: and was there until the death of Herod, so that what the Lord says through the prophet would be fulfilled: "Out of Egypt I called my son" (Mt 2:15).

Sixth Sunday of St. Joseph

Sixth pain: He arose, took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there (Mt 2:21-22). 

Sixth joy: and went to live in a city called Nazareth, so that what the prophets had said would be fulfilled: he will be called a Nazarene (Mt 2:23).

Seventh Sunday of St. Joseph

Seventh pain: They sought him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him (Lk 2:44-45). 

Seventh joy: At the end of three days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions (Lk 2:46).

The Church, following an ancient custom, prepares the feast of St. Joseph on March 19, dedicating to the Holy Patriarch the seven Sundays preceding that feast in memory of the principal joys and sorrows of St. Joseph's life. 

Specifically, it was Pope Gregory XVI who promoted the devotion of the seven Sundays But Blessed Pius IX gave them perennial topicality with his desire to have recourse to St. Joseph, to alleviate the then afflictive situation of the universal Church.

St. Josemaría advises living the seven Sundays of St. Joseph

In a get-together, St. Josemaría proposed a concrete devotion to grow in love for our Lady: to turn to St. Joseph as a sure, close and trusting path in the Christian life.

Father in tenderness, obedience and welcoming

Jesus saw the tenderness of God in Joseph), which is to be expected of all good fathers (cf. Ps 110:13). Joseph taught Jesus, while protecting him in his infant weakness, to 'see' God and to turn to Him in prayer. Also for us «it is important to encounter God's Mercy, especially in the sacrament of Reconciliation, having an experience of truth and tenderness.

There God welcomes us and embraces us, sustains us and forgives us. Joseph also teaches us that, in the midst of life's storms, we must not be afraid to yield the helm of our boat to God..

In a manner similar to that of the Virgin Mary, Joseph also pronounced his "fiat" (go to) to God's plan. He was obedient to what God asked him to do., even though this manifested itself in dreams. And furthermore, what seems amazing, he 'taught' obedience to Jesus. In the hidden life of Nazareth, under the guidance of Joseph, Jesus learned to do the will of the Father. And this, going through the passion and the cross (cf. Jn 4:34; Phil 2:8; Heb 5:8).

As St. John Paul II wrote in his exhortation Redemptoris custos (1989), on St. Joseph: «Joseph was called by God to serve directly the person and mission of Jesus through the exercise of his fatherhood.Thus he cooperates in the fullness of time in the great mystery of redemption and is truly '...'.minister of salvation’».

All this happened through Joseph's acceptance of Mary and of God's plan for her. Joseph assumed this plan, his paternity, mysterious for him, with personal responsibility, without looking for easy solutions. And these events shaped his inner life.

Lent 2026: meaning, definition and prayers

"Every year, during the forty days of Great Lent, the Church unites herself to the Mystery of Jesus in the desert." Catechism of the Catholic Church, 540.

What is Lent?

The meaning of Lent comes from Latin quadragesima, liturgical period of forty days reserved for the preparation for the Easter. Forty days in allusion to the 40 years that the people of Israel spent in the desert with Moses and the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public life.

This is a preparation and conversion time to participate in the culminating moment of our liturgy, together with the entire Catholic Church.

In the Catechism, the Church proposes to follow the example of Christ in his desert retreat, in preparation for the Easter solemnities.. It is a particularly appropriate time for spiritual exercisesthe liturgies penitential, penitential pilgrimages as a sign of penitence, voluntary deprivations such as the fasting and the almsand the Christian communication of goods by means of charitable and missionary works.

This effort of conversion is the movement of the contrite heart, attracted and moved by the grace to to respond to the merciful love of God who has loved us first.

We cannot consider this Lent as just another season, a cyclical repetition of the liturgical season. This moment is unique; it is a divine help to be welcomed. Jesus passes by our side and expects from us - today, now - a great change. It is Christ who passes by, 59, St. Josemaría.

When does Lent begin?

The imposition of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful on Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of this road. It constitutes a invitation to conversion and penance. It is an invitation to go through the Lenten season as a more conscious and intense immersion in the paschal mystery of Jesus, in his death and resurrection, through participation in the Eucharist and in the life of charity.

The time of Lent ends on Holy Thursdaybefore the Mass in coena Domini (the Lord's Supper), which begins the Easter Triduum, Good Friday and Glory Saturday.

During these days we look inside ourselves and we assimilate the mystery of the Lord being tempted in the desert by Satan and his going up to Jerusalem for his Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension to the Heavens.

We remember that we must convert and believe in the Gospel and that we are dust, sinful men, creatures and not God.

«What better way to begin Lent? We renew faith, hope, charity. This is the source of the spirit of penance, of the desire for purification. Lent is not only an occasion to intensify our external practices of mortification: if we were to think that it is only that, we would miss its deep meaning in the Christian life, because those external acts are - I repeat- fruit of faith, hope and love». It is Christ who passes by, 57, St. Josemaría.

cuaresma miercoles de ceniza iglesia semana santa

How to live Lent?

Lent can be experienced through the sacrament of Confession, prayer and positive attitudes.

Catholics we prepare for the key events of the Easter through the pillars of the prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These guide us in our daily reflection on our own life while we strive to deepen our relationship with God and with our neighborno matter what part of the world the neighbor lives in. Lent is a time of personal and spiritual growth, a time to look outward and inward. It is a time of mercy.

Repentance and Confession

As a time of penitence, Lent is a season of is a good time for confession. It is not obligatory, nor is there any mandate from the Church to do so, but it fits very well with the words of the Gospel that repeats the priest on Ash Wednesday.

"Remember that dust you are and to dust you shall return». «Convert and believe in the Gospel». In these holy words there is a common element: the conversion. And this is only possible with repentance and a change of life.. Therefore, confession during Lent is a practical way of ask God's forgiveness for our sins and start over again.. The ideal way to begin this exercise of introspection is through an examination of conscience.

Penance

Penance, the Latin translation of the Greek word "metanoia" which in the Bible means the conversion of the sinner. Designates an entire all the interior and exterior acts aimed at the reparation of the committed sinand the resulting state of affairs for the sinner. Literally change of life, it is said of the act of the sinner who returns to God after having been far from Him, or of the unbeliever who attains faith.

Conversion

Converting is reconciliation with GodWe are to turn away from evil in order to establish friendship with the Creator. Once in grace, after confession and what it implies, we must set out to change from within everything that does not please God.

To concretize the desire for conversion, it is possible to do the following conversion workssuch as, for example: Attending the sacramentsto overcome divisions, to forgive and to grow in a fraternal spirit; practicing the Works of Mercy.

Fasting and abstinence

The Church invites its faithful to observance of the precept of fasting and abstinence of flesh, compendium of the Catechism, 432.

The fasting consists of eating only one meal a day, although it is possible to eat a little less than usual in the morning and evening. Except in case of illness. It invites to live the fast, to all the adults, until they are fifty-nine years old. Both on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

It is called abstinence to abstain from eating meat on Fridays of Lent. The abstinence can begin from the age of fourteen.

Care should be taken not to live fasting or abstinence as a minimum, but as a concrete way in which our Holy Mother Church helps us to grow in the true spirit of penance and joy.

Holy Father's Message for Lent

Pope Francis proposed that «in this time of conversion let us renew our faith, let us quench our thirst with the “living water” of hope and let us receive God's love with an open heart which makes us brothers and sisters in Christ» (Rome, St. John Lateran, November 11, 2020, memorial of St. Martin of Tours).

In this journey of preparation for the night of Easter, in which, Francis reminds us, we will renew the promises of our Baptism, "to be reborn as new men and women":

  1. Faith calls us to embrace the Truth and to be witnesses, before God and before our brothers and sisters.
  2. Esperanza as "living water" that allows us to continue on our journey
  3. CharityThe life lived in the footsteps of Christ, showing care and compassion for each person, is the highest expression of our faith and our hope.

The Pope also emphasizes the great difficulties we are going through as humanity, especially in this time of pandemic, "in which everything seems fragile and uncertain" and where "to speak of hope could seem like a provocation". But Where to find that hope? Precisely «in the recollection and silence of prayer".

Prayers for Lent

Prayer with an open heart is the best preparation for Easter. We can read and reflect on the Gospel, we can pray by doing the Stations of the Cross. We can turn to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and follow the liturgical celebrations with the Roman Missal. The important thing is that we encounter the unconditional love that is Christ.

«Lord Jesus, by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free. During this Lent,
lead us by your Holy Spirit to live more faithfully in Christian freedom. Through prayer,
increase in charity and the disciplines of this sacred Season, bring us closer to You.
Purify the intentions of my heart so that all my Lenten practices may be for the good of my soul.
your praise and glory. Grant that by our words and actions,
we can be faithful messengers of the Gospel message to a world in need of the
hope of your mercy. Amen.

Why make a solidarity bequest or will to the CARF Foundation?

By including the CARF Foundation in your will, you will give continuity to its commitment to integral formation. You will help priests and seminarians around the world receive a solid academic, theological, human and spiritual preparation.

Firma de testamento solidario en España

What is a joint and several will?

The solidarity bequest is a testamentary disposition in favor of a non-profit institution. It is in the will where it is decided to allocate a very specific part of the assets and/or rights to support the objectives of a person, natural or legal. These assets, which are called legacies, are separated from the inheritance and are not subject to distribution among the forced heirs. They can be a specific asset such as a house, apartment, apartment, rural property, etc. or a right such as a benefit, a percentage of the estate, etc.

Bequests have a limit, they can in no case be detrimental to the legitimate inheritance of the heirs. In addition, they must be granted by will and must be expressly indicated.

For the CARF Foundation your collaboration is essential and one way to make it tangible is through the legacy of solidarity. It is a boost in your commitment to the formation of priests, the spreading of their good name and prayer for vocations.

What is a joint and several will?

Article 667 of the Civil Code defines a will as the written declaration of a person's will by which he/she disposes of the destination of his/her assets and obligations, or part of them, after his/her death, depending on the extent to which it was made.

Making a will is a right that entails a simple procedure, with which you can avoid problems for your family and loved ones. The will also serves to order your wishes and be certain that they will be perpetuated when you are gone.
A will is revocable until the time of death. The subsequent valid will revokes the previous one. It can be modified by complying with the same requirements that were necessary to grant the previous one, that is to say, to go to the notary to manifest the changes that are wanted to be made.

Types of joint and several wills you can make

The current Spanish legal system includes three ways of making a will:

Did you know that you don't need to be a member of the CARF Foundation to leave your will or legacy?

All you have to do is decide to express your commitment to solidarity in the form of a will or bequest. This gesture will always be present, since the CARF Foundation is an institution declared of public utility, your entire bequest or will will will be destined to the foundational purposes of supporting the integral formation of priests and seminarians around the world.

The CARF Foundation will see to it that, when the young men in formation return to their dioceses to be ordained priests, they will be able to transmit all the light, science and doctrine they have received. We try to inspire the hearts of our benefactors and friends so that every day there will be more of us building a more just society.

What can I donate as a legacy of solidarity?

Most of the vocations are born today in countries in Africa or America that lack the means to do so. Every year, more than 800 bishops from all over the world ask the CARF Foundation for help in training their candidates. Leaving part of your legacy of solidarity is easy and accessible, and can be done without affecting the interests of your heirs. When your voice falls silent, your ideals can continue with strength and courage by supporting these candidates so that they can complete their training at the ecclesiastical universities of Rome and Pamplona. You can donate:

How does the CARF Foundation manage its legacy of solidarity?

The proceeds from the sale of the bequeathed assets will be used for a significant investment. Guaranteeing a secure procedure for the treatment of the bequeathed assets. The constant support to the integral formation of priests and seminarians goes beyond the cycles of the economy. That is why, at the CARF Foundation, we work in the endowment fund (endowment) of the foundation so that we can always support them.

It is a commitment to think that, behind every priestly vocation, there is another call from the Lord to each one of us Christians, asking for personal effort to ensure the means for formation.

How can I make a solidarity bequest to the CARF Foundation?

Depending on your intention and family circumstances, and within the provisions of current legislation, there are several ways to have us present in your last will:

Once you have made the decision to collaborate by making a will or solidarity legacy in favor of the CARF Foundation, you only need to go to a notary and express your will to testament or bequeath, all or part of your assets in favor of:

Centro Académico Romano Foundation
Conde de Peñalver, 45, Entre planta of 1 - 28006 Madrid
CIF: G-79059218

If your personal circumstances or intention change, your final decision can always be modified, you can contact the Foundation with any questions you may have.

Solidarity will is a tax-exempt gift

In the liquidation of the will, non-profit entities are not subject to the Inheritance and Donations Tax set forth in the Decentralization Act 49/2022 and therefore joint and several legacies are tax exempt for the beneficiaries.

The totality of the donated bequest is entirely dedicated to the purposes of the CARF Foundation, which is why the allocated portion will be tax exempt.

"The message of Divine Mercy constitutes a very concrete and demanding program of life, for it involves works."

Pope Francis
Message of Pope Francis for the XXXI World Youth Day 2016.

Find out how you can make a solidarity testimony in favor of the CARF Foundation or make a bequest.

Bibliography

Attacking cell phone addiction in Pastoral Care with young people

Cell phones are a matter for adults, young people and children, and have become a matter of state in many countries due to the consequences of their indiscriminate use. For the sixth year, the chaplaincy of the University of Navarra Clinic, in collaboration with the CARF Foundation, organized a new edition of the cycle Notions of medicine for priests, on this occasion focused on the cell phone addiction in children and youth.

This is a training initiative aimed at providing useful medical criteria for the accompaniment pastoral. Some thirty priests participated in this edition.

Conferencia sacerdote adicción al móvil y las pantallas jóvenes y niños
Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez-González during the conference.

Cell phone addiction as a pastoral and health challenge

On January 24, 2009, the speaker was the Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Navarra and Visiting Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. H. Chan School of Public Health.

His speech, entitled Screens and addictions, was based on two of his most recent works: Salmon, hormones and screens (Planeta, 2023) and Twelve solutions to overcome display challenges (Planeta, 2025), especially focused on the prevention of the impact of the use of screens on children and adolescents.

The speaker stressed that the cell phone addiction should not be approached solely as an educational or disciplinary problem, but as a phenomenon with clinical implications, family members and social. From his experience in public health, he explained that early detection is key to avoid the chronification of dependency behaviors, especially in still immature stages of neurological development, such as childhood and adolescence.

In this regard, he encouraged priests to collaborate actively with families, educational centers and health professionals when they detect situations of risk.

Levels of addiction

He also pointed out that a correct medical referral should not be interpreted as a failure of accompaniment. pastoral, The treatment is not only a form of responsible integral care of the person, especially when there are symptoms of anxiety, social isolation, or significant deterioration of academic or work performance.

«Social networks are designed to be highly addictive.»

During his speech, the professor warned that the early handing over of smartphones to minors has become a public health problem.

As he explained, the main digital platforms are designed to maximize usage time through reward systems associated with dopamine release.

He added that the development of these technologies relies on highly specialized teams in neuropsychology and engineering, which places children and adolescents at a clear disadvantage.

Four major dimensions of health damage

The speaker identified four major risk areas associated with problematic screen use:

Dependence

Addressing the priests, Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez explained that there are different degrees of dependency.

In mild situations, personal accompaniment and pastoral guidance may be sufficient. In more serious cases - when there is neglect of responsibilities, compulsive behaviors or withdrawal symptoms - it is necessary to refer to health or social work professionals. psychology.

He also stressed the importance of fostering a climate of trust that facilitates honesty, as well as being aware of the high frequency of this type of problem among young people.

The role of parents

The professor insisted that prevention begins at the level of the family and, in particular, in the formation of the parents.

He recommended promoting an early, personal and non-punitive dialogue on sexuality, as well as setting an example in the use of technology, establishing clear rules, schedules and parental control systems at home. He also advocated delaying the first smartphone until the age of 18 as much as possible.

In closing, he highlighted the growth of initiatives by mothers and fathers who are organizing to limit the impact of screens on family life, and educational, and encouraged support for these types of social movements.

Marta Santín, journalist specialized in religion.