• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis holds his hand to his face during his weekly general audience April 26, 2023, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Nuns, monks are ‘beating heart’ of the church, pope says

April 26, 2023
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, Vocations, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The prayers of nuns and monks are like “oxygen” for all members of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said.

“Their prayer is the invisible force that sustains the mission,” he told people at his weekly general audience April 26.

As part of his series of talks about “zeal” for evangelization, Pope Francis spoke about nuns and monks. These are “sisters and brothers who renounce themselves and renounce the world to imitate Jesus on the path of poverty, chastity, obedience and to intercede on behalf of all.”

They are also great evangelizers, he said.

Pope Francis holds a portrait of himself while greeting visitors after his weekly general audience April 26, 2023, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

People might wonder how men and women religious who live in monasteries and convents help the proclamation of the Gospel, the pope said. “Wouldn’t they do better to put their energies into the mission” by evangelizing outside a monastery and in the world?

“In reality, monks and nuns are the beating heart of the proclamation,” he said, and “their prayer is oxygen for all the members of the body of Christ.”

In fact, the pope said, the patron saint of missions is a nun, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Writing about discovering her vocation, she said, “I understood that the church had a heart and that this heart was burning with love.”

“My vocation is love!” she wrote. “In the heart of the church, my mother, I shall be love.”

Contemplative nuns and monks, the pope said, pray and work in silence for the entire church.

“This is love: it is the love that is expressed by praying for the church, working for the church, in the monasteries,” he said. This love for everyone “is translated into their prayer of intercession.”

“Among monks and nuns there is a universal solidarity,” Pope Francis said. Whatever happens in the world, it finds a place in their hearts, and they pray.”

Their hearts are like “an antenna,” he said. “It picks up what happens in the world and prays and intercedes for this. And in this way, they live in union with the Lord and with everyone.”

“They weep for their sins — after all, we are all sinners — and they also weep for the sins of the world, and they pray and intercede with their hands and heart raised up,” he said.

“They are the true strength, the true force that carries the people of God forward,” he said, praying that God bless the church with “new monasteries” and “new monks and nuns to carry the church forward with their intercession.”

Read More Vatican News

JUBILEE-YOUTH-VIGIL

Pope Leo urges youth to find hope, friendship in Christ in uncertain times

JUBILEE-YOUTH-FRASSATI

Thousands visit Blessed Frassati’s remains in Rome for Jubilee of Youth

Jubilee 2025

Young teen’s relics a reminder for pilgrims that holiness ‘is not impossible’

newman

Pope paves way for St. John Henry Newman to be formally named doctor of the church

Jubilee of Digital Missionaries

Festival of digital missionaries celebrates faithful witness in the digital age

jubilee 2025

World will hear young people’s joy, shouting for peace on earth, pope says

Copyright © 2023 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Carol Glatz

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Conference of Major Superiors of Men Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

  • St. Bernardine Choir celebrates 50 years of song, spirit and community

  • Sister Rose Sylvia Lindner, S.S.N.D., dies at 91

  • Sister Miriam Jansen, former director of international programs at Notre Dame of Maryland, dies at 86

  • The Fantastic Four: First Steps Movie Review: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

| Latest Local News |

Sister Rita Ann Naughton, I.H.M., dies at 88

St. Bernardine Choir celebrates 50 years of song, spirit and community

Grillo Family Reflection Space

Loyola University Maryland receives $1 million gift supporting aspiring educators, creation of reflection space

Sister Miriam Jansen, former director of international programs at Notre Dame of Maryland, dies at 86

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

| Latest World News |

three parent embryos

Catholic bioethicist raises ethical concerns with ‘three parent embryos’

Brave new classroom: Catholic schools nationwide integrate AI into teaching plans

burch

Brian Burch confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See

JUBILEE-YOUTH-VIGIL

Pope Leo urges youth to find hope, friendship in Christ in uncertain times

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Rep. Veronica Escobar

Amid shift in public opinion on immigration, Catholic advocates praise bipartisan attempt at reform

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Catholic bioethicist raises ethical concerns with ‘three parent embryos’
  • Brave new classroom: Catholic schools nationwide integrate AI into teaching plans
  • Brian Burch confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See
  • Pope Leo urges youth to find hope, friendship in Christ in uncertain times
  • Our Lady of the Snows: An unlikely patron in August
  • Amid shift in public opinion on immigration, Catholic advocates praise bipartisan attempt at reform
  • A Small Gift on a Cloudy Day
  • Planned Parenthood defunding remains in question amid legal challenges
  • Experts see US UNESCO exit as blow to historic preservation for churches, other sites

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en