Pope Leo XIV Highlights Hermits‘ Vital Role in Spiritual renewal During Jubilee Meeting
Vatican City – Pope Leo XIV underscored the unique and increasingly vital mission of hermits in fostering a deeper connection with God and offering spiritual guidance to a world grappling with loneliness and uncertainty, during a meeting with a group of Italian hermits in Rome today. The encounter, held as part of the Jubilee celebrations, focused on the power of contemplative life to revitalize faith and inspire compassion.
The Pope acknowledged the paradox of finding communion through a solitude often “marked by a negative type of loneliness,” stating that hermitages become “oases of communion with God and with our brothers and sisters.” he emphasized the crucial role hermits play in bolstering the spiritual health of the wider Church.
“Your simple presence and your prayerful witness,through communion with the bishop and fraternal relationship with parish priests,become precious and fruitful,as they increase the ‘spiritual breath’ of the Christian community,” Pope Leo XIV said,according to a Vatican statement.
The pontiff encouraged the hermits to remain rooted in the traditions of the Church Fathers – “safeguarding the Word, through the lectio divina and the service of prayer and intercession with the prayer of the Psalms” – while embracing “the creativity of the Holy spirit” to address contemporary spiritual needs. He specifically noted their capacity to guide those “seeking meaning and truth,” often navigating “confused” paths.
“All of you can encourage others to return to themselves, to rediscover the center of gravity of the heart, as Pope Francis taught us in the Encyclical Dilexit nos,” the Pope stated. He described hermits as “guardians and witnesses” of the inherent desire for God present in every person, urging them to help others “discover it and nurture it within themselves.”
Pope Leo XIV further elaborated on the importance of inner contemplation, emphasizing the need to “enter this hidden place of the heart, patiently delving into it,” a process requiring “emptying and divesting ourselves.” He stressed the importance of spiritual discipline, stating, “Once we have entered, God asks us to close the door to bad thoughts in order to safeguard a pure, humble and meek heart, through vigilance and spiritual combat.” Only then, he explained, can one truly experience “intimate dialog with the Father, who dwells and sees in secret, and in secret fills us with his gifts.”
The Pope framed the hermits’ vocation as particularly vital in “troubled times,” highlighting their ability to generate “communion and compassion for all humankind and for every creature” through ”prayerful solitude.” he described them as acting as “leaven of divine life” within both the Church and broader society.
Concluding his address, Pope Leo XIV called on the hermits to “stand in the breach, with your hands raised and your hearts alert,” remaining steadfast “in the presence of God, in solidarity with the trials of humanity.” He offered a final image of hope, urging them to “sail with the whole Church, our mother, on the stormy sea of history, towards the Kingdom of love and peace that the Father prepares for all,” keeping their “gaze fixed on Jesus and opening the sails of your hearts to his Spirit of life.”
