Pope Leo XIV urges nuns to renew vows through prayer and Christ encounter. Fidelity stems from Emmaus-like meeting with Risen Lord, not rules. Seek God in the poor
Newsroom (06/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged two women’s religious congregations to ground their institutional renewal in prayer, silence, and a personal encounter with the Risen Christ, emphasizing that authentic fidelity flows from this foundational experience.
Addressing superiors and delegates attending the General Chapters of the Religious of Jesus and Mary and the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo—commonly known as the Scalabrinians—the pontiff expressed gratitude for their service and extended best wishes to the newly elected superiors general.
The two congregations, though founded in distinct historical contexts, share a common charism of compassion for the poor, the pope noted. “Where it all begins,” he said, lies in the transformative encounter with Christ.
Drawing on the chapters’ guiding scriptural themes—“Jesus himself drew near” (Lk 24:15) for the Religious of Jesus and Mary, and “Wherever you go, I will go” (Ruth 1:16) for the Scalabrinians—Pope Leo XIV highlighted the interplay of divine initiative and human response.
In the Emmaus account, he explained, Jesus accompanies the disciples, walking beside them until they recognize him in the breaking of the bread. The Book of Ruth, by contrast, showcases the young Moabite widow’s steadfast loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi, accompanying her into an uncertain future.
The pope connected these narratives to the congregations’ founders, who navigated eras of profound hardship: Saint Claudine Thévenet for the Religious of Jesus and Mary, and Saint Giovanni Battista Scalabrini with Blessed Assunta Marchetti and Venerable Giuseppe Marchetti for the Scalabrinians.
“The secret of such fidelity,” Pope Leo XIV declared, “is found in their encounter with the Risen Jesus. That is where it all began for them and also for you.”
He encouraged the chapter participants to allow Christ to “walk alongside you and help you to re-read your history in the light of Easter.” The most vital insights, he stressed, emerge “on our knees,” with deliberations in meeting rooms requiring discernment before the tabernacle and in attentive listening to God’s word.
“Give plenty of space to prayer and silence throughout the course of your work,” the pope advised. “It is only by listening to the Lord that we learn to truly listen to one another.”
Invoking predecessors Pope Francis and Saint John Paul II, Pope Leo XIV called on the sisters to seek “the face of God in our brothers and sisters in need” and to recognize in every person “a promise, a hope, an epiphany of the divine presence.”
Such a mission demands courage, he concluded: the willingness to be unsettled by human suffering, to relinquish personal security, and, if called, to embark on uncharted paths.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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