On the second anniversary of his election as pontiff, Pope Francis will hear Confessions at St Peter's Basilica. The Pope will be taking part in the annual 24 Hours for the Lord initiative, running from March 13 to 14, that sees churches in Rome and across the world stay open for 24 hours in order to emphasise the importance of Confession, prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. The theme for this year's event is 'God rich in mercy' (Eph 2:4) Pope Francis will open 24 Hours for the Lord by leading a penitential celebration in St Peter’s Basilica on March 13, the anniversary of his election as pope. According to RomeReports he will then hear Confessions. At the launch of last year's 24 Hours for the Lord, Pope Francis caused a surprise by going to Confession. He then went to another confessional and spent about 40 minutes hearing Confessions.