Pope Leo XIV tells Capuchin Poor Clares to face falling vocations with hope
Meeting the Assembly of the Federation of Capuchin Poor Clare Nuns of Italy on September 21, 2026, the pope said shrinking communities should not discourage the sisters and that vocations come from prayer, not from planned campaigns
Pope Leo XIV met participants in the Assembly of the Federation of Capuchin Poor Clare Nuns of Italy on September 21, 2026, at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. He spoke about the decline in vocations in the religious community. He told the sisters not to be discouraged but to treat the situation as a chance to renew their spiritual commitment and to strengthen the support they give to those seeking to enter the monasteries.
The pope said falling numbers should not lead to discouragement. "The numerical reduction of communities and the fear of losing autonomy that may result from it should not trouble you or deprive you of hope," he said. He urged the sisters to build communities that are "joyful and alive," where people can find genuine intimacy with God and authentic, warm relationships, as a spur to a "renewal of one's own life."
Vocations do not come from organizational planning, the pope said. "Vocations are not born from the application of organizational strategies, nor from campaigns worked out in advance," he said. They are born of prayer, familiarity with the Gospel, silence and the acceptance of one's own imperfections. Spirituality and a real bond with the Church community, he said, are the true paths to vocational discernment.
Leo XIV called for continuing formation, both initial and ongoing, that fosters deep communion among the sisters and with the Church. "Form and be formed in a cloister lived in a spirit of deep communion among yourselves and with the Church," he said. Silence is essential in a society often dominated by noise and haste, he added, and it should awaken the need for times and places to stop, discern and reflect.
The pope recalled St. Paul's exhortation in the Letter to the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of the vocation received, which means living the Gospel with humility and dedication. He praised the federation's work in updating its Constitutions, which restates that contemplation of divine realities and constant union with God in prayer are the main duty of religious.
Leo XIV told the sisters to look at the present and the future with hope despite the difficulties they face. Quoting St. Clare, he said they should "place their mind in the mirror of eternity."
