The faithful must set aside their egos and sense of superiority over others to make room for God and his tender mercy, Pope Francis said at a Lenten penance service.

The secret to lovingly ministering to others is first allowing oneself to experience the overwhelming love of God, Pope Francis told priests belonging to the Josephites of Murialdo, the Murialdine Sisters of St. Joseph and the laypeople who work with them.

At the end of their first meeting, three members of the preparatory commission for the assembly of the Synod of Bishops said they know some Catholics have very high expectations for the process while others have intense anxiety.

Planning an ecumenical prayer vigil for the Catholic Church’s Synod of Bishops and making a commitment to participating in it is an expression of “an ecumenism of solidarity,” said the Rev. Anne-Laure Danet, ecumenical officer for the French Protestant Federation.

The aesthetic and artistic elements surrounding the liturgy must foster prayer and a sense of communion, Pope Francis said.

Being an apostle does not mean climbing up the church’s hierarchy to look down on others but humbling oneself in a spirit of service, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis has brought a fresh perspective to established Catholic teaching, panelists said March 13 at an event hosted by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life to mark the pontiff’s 10th anniversary.

For the biographer of Pope Francis, 10 years into the current papacy, “the church is in a very different place,” with “less anger and defensiveness.” Commentators add that Pope Francis is a pope “who is not afraid to spark controversy” and are certain he’s a “daring” pope “full of surprises.”

Many of the 40 international trips Pope Francis has made over the past 10 years have been to countries where Christians are a minority or where he can draw close to people on the fringes of the world’s attention.

Before he was known for anything else, Pope Francis was known as “the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years.”