A Vatican letter praises consecrated people for enduring faith and peaceful witness amid global conflict, division, and fragility.
Newsroom (29/01/2026 Gaudium Press )In a deeply reflective letter issued by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Vatican pays heartfelt tribute to the enduring witness of consecrated men and women who continue their mission amid conflict, instability, and hardship around the globe. The message, signed by Prefect Sr. Simona Brambilla, Pro-Prefect Cardinal Ángel F. Artime, and Secretary Sr. Tiziana Merletti, honors those whose lives of faith, hope, and service remain a constant presence in times of “fragility and trial.”
The letter opens with gratitude for the fidelity of consecrated people who, despite facing challenges, persist in living the Gospel as a sign of hope. Their steadfastness, the Dicastery writes, is a testimony to God’s unwavering closeness to humanity, particularly in places where trust is tested and hope is eroded.
Witness in Complex Realities
Reflecting on a year of pastoral visits across regions marked by turmoil, the authors recount meeting countless men and women who live out their vocation among populations suffering from poverty, displacement, and instability. The letter describes consecrated life as a “presence that remains”—a gentle yet courageous act of solidarity beside wounded peoples and communities.
This presence, the Dicastery affirms, takes diverse forms depending on each place and culture. Yet, common to all is the quiet conviction that “Evangelical remaining” is not passive endurance but “active hope that generates attitudes and gestures of peace.” Through dialogue, compassion, and service, consecrated people become living signs that “God does not abandon his people.”
Remaining with Love
The message defines this commitment to “remain” as a prophetic act, one that transforms suffering into a call for peace and reconciliation. It is not merely a personal or communal choice but a declaration to the Church and the world that love endures even amid despair.
Different expressions of consecrated life each embody this presence uniquely. Apostolic communities reveal “active closeness” that uplifts wounded dignity. Contemplative orders sustain hope through constant prayer and fidelity. Secular institutes witness discreetly within professional and social life. The Ordo virginum demonstrates a love freely given, while hermits point to the primacy of God through simplicity and silence. Together, these lives form a mosaic of faith that, as the letter beautifully states, seeks “to remain with love, without abandoning, without remaining silent.”
Artisans of Peace
The letter echoes Pope Leo XIV’s teaching that peace is not an abstract ideal but “a demanding and daily journey.” True peace, it emphasizes, emerges through listening, patience, dialogue, and the ongoing renewal of the heart. It is born not from opposition but from encounter—from shared responsibility and the courage to bridge division.
Consecrated people, by their very choice to stay with the suffering rather than flee from conflict, become “artisans of peace.” In places where violence tempts despair, they embody faith that acts, serves, and heals. Their witness stands as a countercultural proclamation that peace is not the silence of submission but the fruit of steadfast presence.
Pilgrims of Hope
As the Church looks toward the Jubilee of Consecrated Life in 2025, the Dicastery’s letter calls all consecrated men and women to continue this vocation with renewed vigor—pilgrims of hope on the road to peace. The letter concludes with a prayerful invocation that consecrated people may always be “a prophecy of presence and a seed of peace,” serving as a living reminder that faith remains resilient, even when the world trembles.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
Related Images:
