Vatican City, Feb 22, 2015 / 01:49 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis and members of the Curia set out from Rome on Sunday afternoon to begin their annual Lenten retreat.

This year's spiritual exercises will run from Feb. 22-27 on the theme: “Servants and prophets of the living God,” according to the Jan. 30 announcement in L'Osservatore Romano.

The retreat will be guided by Fr. Bruno Secondin, Carmelite, who will focus on the prophet Elijah and the prophetic role of the Church today.

For the second consecutive year, Pope Francis wanted the Curia's spiritual exercises to be held outside of Rome, in order to foster the spiritual retreat and to avoid the temptation to continue working.

The Pope and the Curial members will follow the five-day spiritual exercises at the Casa Divin Maestro in Ariccia, a city located some 16 miles outside of Rome.