Bishop Erik Varden OCSO of Trondheim, Norway, will preach the Lenten Spiritual Exercises for Pope Leo XIV and other Vatican officials. The exercises are scheduled to take place from February 22 to February 27 in the Pauline Chapel. The central theme for the Lenten Exercises is “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory.” Bishop Varden will deliver two meditations daily from Monday to Thursday, preceded by Mid-Morning Prayer and followed by Eucharistic Adoration and Vespers. Meditations will cover topics including Saint Bernard, God’s help, the splendor of truth, and the angels of God.
30 days ago
Pope Leo XIV has selected Bishop Erik Varden, a Trappist from Trondheim, Norway, to lead the annual Lenten Spiritual Exercises for himself, cardinals in Rome, and dicastery heads.1 2 3
The retreat runs from February 22-27, 2026, marking the first of Leo XIV's pontificate.3 5
It adopts a monastic style with twice-daily meditations, Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic adoration, and Vespers.2 4
The theme is “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory,” featuring 11 meditations including “Entering Lent,” reflections on St. Bernard as idealist and realist, God's help, becoming free, splendor of truth, angels of God, and “Communicating Hope.”1 5 6
It begins February 22 at 5 p.m. in the Pauline Chapel, followed by morning sessions at 9 a.m. (after Mid-Morning Prayer) and evenings at 5 p.m.1 2
Public papal activities, like the February 25 general audience, will be suspended.3
Bishop Erik Varden, 51, was born in Norway to non-practicing Lutherans, converted to Catholicism at Cambridge, and entered Trappists in 2002.2 3 5
Ordained in 2011, he served as abbot of Mount St. Bernard Abbey, was appointed Trondheim bishop in 2019 (first native Norwegian in modern times), and holds roles like Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference president and Dicastery for Clergy member.1 3 6
A prolific author on chastity, loneliness, and healing, Varden views the task as “responsible” and hopes to serve.2 3
The retreat returns to the Apostolic Palace's Pauline Chapel, featuring Michelangelo frescoes, shifting from Ariccia retreat houses used under Pope Francis.2 3 6
It avoids the Redemptoris Mater Chapel, linked to Marko Rupnik's mosaics and abuse scandals.2 5
This setup emphasizes communal prayer in Vatican heart, signaling renewal through contemplation over bureaucracy.4 6
Papal Lenten retreats began under Pius XI in 1925; Paul VI set them post-Ash Wednesday in 1964.3
Francis held them in Ariccia (2014-2020), then privately due to health and COVID; last year's was in Paul VI Hall during his hospitalization.3 5
Leo XIV's choice restores the traditional in-house format for curial leaders.6
Examine how the Lenten retreat reflects St. Bernard’s monastic spirituality
Lenten retreats, as structured periods of spiritual withdrawal, meditation, and ascetic practice, powerfully reflect the monastic spirituality of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, emphasizing solitude for contemplative prayer, affective knowledge of divine mysteries through personal experience, sober discipline, and a burning desire for union with God. Rooted in traditions revived by figures like the Jesuits and Cistercians, these retreats echo Bernard's vision of monastic life as a school of divine love, where study, prayer, and self-denial converge to reorient the soul toward eternity, much as Lent invites the faithful to imitate Christ's desert sojourn.
Lenten retreats emerged as vital responses to modern life's distractions, offering "meditation and spiritual repose" to souls seeking to reflect on their eternal destiny. Pioneered by French Jesuits like Père Henry in the late 19th century, these "cloistered" or closed retreats for laymen—distinguished from parochial ones—spread across Europe, America, and beyond, with thousands participating annually in places like Belgium and France. Their success lies in necessity: amid "fever and agitation," they provide silence for contemplating Christ, aligning with Lenten practices of fasting, abstinence, and station churches in Rome, where the faithful historically gathered for repentance at martyr-sanctified sites.
Papal teachings underscore retreats as Lenten graces, akin to Spiritual Exercises preached by St. Ignatius, which Pius XI praised for their "admirable facility" in leading souls from sin's yoke to "supreme heights of prayer and divine love." John Paul II described them as "indispensable" for considering "the most essential problems," applying Christ's measure to daily life, especially during Lent's "acceptable time" of contemplating the Lord's sorrowful face. Closed retreats, recommended for deeper separation from "intercourse with creatures," mirror the Imitation of Christ's call to progress "in silence and in peace."
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), the "last of the Fathers," exemplified Cistercian renewal, founding Clairvaux at age 25 and defining monastic life through sobriety—at table, in clothing, and buildings—while urging care for the poor. His spirituality integrated prayer and learning in a monastic rhythm: morning, evening, and contemplative prayer as "a close sharing between friends," taking time to be alone with the loving God. Drawing from the Canticle of Canticles, Bernard insisted that divine knowledge demands "personal experience," not mere learning: "Only the touch of the Spirit can inspire a song like this... let all others burn with desire rather to attain to this experience."
This affective theology—"amata notitia" or beloved awareness—unites love and knowledge, as Aquinas later echoed from Bernard: love of the Word is a "beloved awareness." Monastic culture, per Jean Leclercq, remains contemplative: "all learning is fundamentally contemplative," proceeding via contact with God amid Bible, Fathers, and philosophy. Bernard addressed monks as "lovers of what is true," fostering desire enkindled in prayer, where God teaches directly. His influence extended to women's monasteries and Church affairs, blending contemplation with action.
Lenten retreats embody Bernard's cloistered withdrawal, replicating monastic "interior schools" under spiritual guidance. Just as Bernard's monks progressed in silence, retreats demand leaving "cares and solicitudes of daily life" for God-focused concentration, yielding fruits like those Bernard praised: moral reform, abnegation, and divine love.
Contemplatively, retreats mirror Bernard's emphasis on experiencing mysteries. Lent's Via Crucis and stations prompt union with Christ's passion—"a face of sorrow"—following Him as obedient Servant, much as Bernard urged burning desire for the Canticle's spiritual touch. John Paul II's Lenten call to contemplate the Lord's face aligns with Bernard's monastic pedagogy, where prayer enkindles desire and study beholds God affectively.
Ascetically, Lenten fasting over 40 days (beyond Sundays) and Ember Days parallel Cistercian sobriety and poverty care. Retreats' "closed" nature fosters this, as Pius XI noted Ignatian Exercises' power—sanctioned for all states—echoing Bernard's adaptable monasticism.
Bernard’s legacy inspires Lenten retreats' revitalization of monastic life, as John Paul II urged for Eastern Churches: linking liturgy, tradition, and monasticism for "ecclesial fruitfulness," strengthening pastoral ministry. Western retreats, Jesuit-led but Cistercian-influenced, extend this: Bernard defended the poor evangelically, offering perspectives for contemporary spirituality. Seminarians and priests, per Cessario, must adopt Bernard's rhythm—prayer complementing study—for sanctity. Thus, Lenten retreats propagate Bernard's holistic formation: human, spiritual, intellectual.
Lenten retreats reflect St. Bernard’s monastic spirituality by immersing participants in solitude for contemplative desire, ascetic sobriety, and affective divine encounter, transforming modern souls as Clairvaux did in the 12th century. Amid Lent's "Laetare" joy, they renew the Church, urging all to Christ's desert for eternal focus.