The Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace was the setting for Pope Leo’s meeting with a group of Italian hermits who took part in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life. The key element of this form of contemplation is prayer in solitude, away from society.
The pope emphasized that this way of life is not an “escape from the world” but rather a way to “renew the heart,” allowing it to recognize and listen to God’s action.
In a world shaped by media and technology, he said it is more necessary than ever “to live with ourselves and cultivate an intimate friendship with the Lord.”
POPE LEO XIV
This call to interiority and silence—to live in contact with oneself, with others, with the world, and with God, is more necessary than ever today, in a world increasingly oriented toward media exposure and technology. Your distance from the world does not separate you from others; it unites you with them in a deeper solidarity.
Through this meeting, the Jubilee aimed to highlight the importance of consecrated life within the Church.
It is estimated that there are about 20,000 hermits worldwide and around 300 in Italy who withdraw from worldly distractions to devote themselves entirely to the contemplation of God.
Trans. VL
