Pope Leo XIV to Religious: "God found not one, but many strong and courageous women"

Witnesses even to martyrdom

The pope stressed that these women “paved the way for many others who, like you, have followed Christ in his poverty, chastity, and obedience, carrying on his work, sometimes even to the point of martyrdom.”

He continued: “We are speaking of extraordinary women who went forth as missionaries in difficult times. They stooped down to care for those suffering moral and material misery, reaching the most neglected areas of society. To remain close to those in need, they accepted the risk of losing their lives, even to the point of dying as victims of brutal violence in times of war.”

Quoting the Liturgy of the Hours, the pope recalled: “With fasts her body she subdued, but filled her soul with prayer’s sweet food: in other worlds she tastes the bliss.”

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He said: “The strength to remain faithful in both areas comes from the same source: Christ. The Church’s experience over millennia teaches that the means by which we draw on the richness of his grace include asceticism, prayer, the sacraments, intimacy with God, his Word, and the things of heaven.”

“Perhaps some people in our overly immanentist world might dismiss this as a type of ‘spiritualism,’ but such a view is easily refuted by the testimony of what your congregations have accomplished over the centuries and continue to do today. Indeed, it is only through the strength that comes from God that all this has been possible. After all, we experience this truth every day: Our work is in the Lord’s hands, and we are only small and inadequate instruments, or ‘unworthy servants,’ as the Gospel says. Yet, if we entrust ourselves to him and remain united with him, great things can happen, precisely through our poverty.”

‘Even today there is a need for generous women’

The pope urged the sisters to remain faithful to this legacy. “Dear sisters, this is the legacy you have received, and it is what makes your presence here so meaningful. Even today, in fact, there is a need for generous women.”

He offered a special greeting to the Discalced Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Land, calling their mission “important, through your vigilant and silent presence in places sadly torn apart by hatred and violence, through your witness of trusting abandonment to God, and through your constant entreaties for peace.”

“We all accompany you with our prayers and, through you, draw close to those who suffer,” he added.

Finally, Pope Leo thanked all women religious around the world: “Thank you to all of you, Sisters, for the good you do in so many countries and diverse contexts around the world. I bless you from my heart and remember you in my prayers to the Lord.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

As a journalist, Victoria Cardiel has specialized in social and religious news. Since 2013, she has covered the Vatican for various media outlets, including Europa Press and Alfa and Omega, the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Madrid.