By receiving Benedictine monks and nuns in the Consistory Hall on Monday March 30, 2026, Leo XIV recalled that cloistered life, far from being withdrawn from the world, constitutes an essential mission for the Church, rooted in prayer, community life and discreet service to humanity. We publish below the speech of the Holy Father to the members of the monastic community of the Abbey of Saint Scholastica in Subiaco; of the monastic community of the Abbey of Saint Mary of the Hill in Cesena and to the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of Saint Scholastica in Bari.
Â
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Dear brothers and sisters, hello and welcome!
I am happy with this meeting, which allows us to reflect together on the value of the Benedictine charism in your life, in the life of the Church and in the world.
By identifying the “instruments of good works,” Saint Benedict, in chapter IV of his Rule, exhorts us to “watch over each of our acts.” You, contemplative Benedictine nuns, Benedictine monks, know the importance of prayer and the prayerful reading of the Word of God, especially in the Lectio divina, help with this vigilance. They allow us to recognize the truth about ourselves, to welcome our weaknesses and our sins, and to give thanks for the blessings of the Lord. Thus the desire to belong to him grows and the wish for our consecration is confirmed.
Sacred Scripture must therefore always be “the food of your contemplation and your daily life”, so that you can share this transforming experience.
However, the path to sanctification of a consecrated person cannot be reduced to an individual journey. It has an essential community dimension, where the announcement of Easter liberation is concretized in fraternal service, a reflection of the universal love of Christ.
In this sense, synodality is experienced at the monastery in daily “walking together”: mutual listening, discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, communion with the local Church and the Benedictine family. It is expressed in common prayer, shared decisions, and dialogue between authority and obedience to seek together the will of God.
Monastic life is not a closure to the world: it is a means of growing a love similar to that of Christ, ready to share and help. She thus becomes a model for all the people of God, reminding us that mission is first and foremost a way of being.
We can mention here an aspect specific to the cloistered mission: intercession. Through prayer, united with Christ the mediator, you bring before God the joys and sufferings of humanity. To intercede is to have a heart in harmony with divine mercy.
The prophetess Anne is an example: she served God night and day in prayer, recognizing the child Jesus as the Messiah and announcing hope to her people.
Finally, I would like to mention continuing education, so necessary today. It consists of “knowing the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge” and allows the consecrated life to better serve the Church and the world. The whole community participates through prayer, the Word, celebrations and fraternal sharing.
Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for the immense and hidden good that you do to the Church through your prayer, your offering and your testimony. Continue this work, which is truly “the work of God”.
I entrust you to the Virgin Mary, to Saint Benedict, to Saint Scholastica and to all the Benedictine saints, and I bless you with all my heart.
Translation by ZENIT
Â
Â
Â
