Nigeria: Ash Wednesday marks Lent’s start with prayers for Pope Francis

As Catholics around the world celebrated the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, congregants in Nigeria took a moment to pray for the well-being of Pope Francis, who has been undergoing treatment due to health challenges.

Father Boniface Ugwo, of St. Francis Catholic Church in Lagos, emphasized that this Lent is an opportune time to “offer special prayers for our Pope Francis.”

On Ash Wednesday, faithful Catholics receive ashes in the…