Cistercian Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, is leading the Lenten spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia at the Vatican from February 22–27. The retreat, requested by Pope Leo XIV, involves cardinals and prefects suspending regular work for spiritual reflection. Varden's meditations, titled “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory,” will focus on St. Bernard of Clairvaux from both idealistic and realistic perspectives. The exercises include 11 total talks, Eucharistic adoration, and the twice daily praying of the Liturgy of the Hours to foster silence and renewal. Last year's exercises were led by Father Roberto Pasolini, while Pope Francis previously moved the annual retreat outside the Vatican for several years.
12 days ago
Pope Leo XIV initiated the annual Lenten spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia on February 22, 2026, at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.1 2 3
The retreat, running through February 27, suspends regular Curia activities to prioritize silence, prayer, and reflection among the Pope, cardinals in Rome, and dicastery prefects.1 2 3
Cistercian Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway, leads the exercises at Pope Leo XIV's request.1 2 3
A Trappist monk and spirituality author, Varden brings a monastic focus on biblical depth and spiritual combat.3
The overarching theme, "Illuminated by a Hidden Glory," centers on St. Bernard of Clairvaux from idealistic and realistic viewpoints.1 2 3
Varden delivers 11 meditations, including "Entering Lent," "God’s Help," "Saint Bernard the Idealist," "Saint Bernard the Realist," and "Communicating Hope."1 2 3
Meditations occur in the Pauline Chapel, with sessions at 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from February 23–27, plus the opening on February 22.1 2 3
Activities include Eucharistic adoration, Liturgy of the Hours twice daily, and fostering discernment and renewal.1 2 3
Varden's first talk, "Entering into Lent," emphasized Christian peace as a precondition for transformation, not comfort.3
He addressed purifying anger—citing John Climacus—amid polarization, invoked Psalm 90's "Qui habitat," and drew on Bernard of Clairvaux's Lenten sermons for grace in struggle.3
Born in 1974, Varden converted from atheism to Cistercian monasticism after formation in the British Isles.1 2
His books, like "Entering into the Twofold Mystery" and "Healing Wounds," blend theology, personal story, and dialogue with modern life, sparking ecclesial interest.1 2
Last year's exercises, led by Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini under "Anchored in Christ," focused on eternal hope; Pope Francis joined remotely from hospital before his death on April 21, 2025.1 2
Francis later opted for private retreats, shifting from 2014–2020 group sessions in Ariccia, Italy.1 2
Investigate how Lenten retreats reflect Catholic tradition of interior conversion
Lenten retreats embody the Catholic tradition of interior conversion by providing structured periods of silence, prayer, meditation, and spiritual exercises that foster a radical reorientation of the heart toward God, echoing the Church's emphasis on compunction of heart over mere external penance. Rooted in practices like the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, these retreats align with Lenten calls to return to the Lord with one's whole heart, as highlighted in papal teachings and liturgical norms.
The Church teaches that true conversion begins in the heart, involving a profound turning away from sin and toward God, accompanied by salutary sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment.
Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace.
This interior focus precedes and animates external acts: "Jesus' call to conversion and penance... does not aim first at outward works... but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false." Papal homilies on Ash Wednesday reinforce this, drawing from Joel: "return to me with all your heart," amid calls for prayer, fasting, and confession. Pope Benedict XVI describes the Ash Wednesday rite as symbolizing "interior change, to conversion and penance," aiding the "interior journey" toward heavenly Jerusalem. Similarly, Pope John Paul II urges a "renewed experience of conversion" during Lent.
Liturgical documents affirm ashes as marking "interior conversion, led on by the confident hope that the Lord will be merciful," initiating the path of purification.
Retreats, particularly during Lent, trace back to early modern Catholic revival, reflecting traditions of spiritual withdrawal for conversion.
The Catholic Encyclopedia details their evolution: St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises popularized retreats among Jesuits, who conducted them publicly in churches and privately for renewal. Blessed Peter Faber restored convents through them, and St. Charles Borromeo institutionalized retreats for clergy and laity, building dedicated houses. By the 19th century, retreats proliferated across Europe and beyond, especially for laity, workers, and religious, emphasizing "meditation and spiritual repose" amid modern life's "fever and agitation."
In Lenten context, retreats align with the "penitential procession" and "Lenten Stations," forming a "new interior and spiritual geography" for conversion. Jesuits established retreat houses globally, with others like Redemptorists and Oblates of the Blessed Virgin Mary continuing the practice.
Lenten retreats mirror interior conversion by immersing participants in practices that cultivate compunction, self-examination, and reorientation.
Pope Benedict XVI praises the Spiritual Exercises—central to many retreats—as a "gift... to the entire Church" for "spiritual growth," "initiation to prayer," and "seek[ing] God... in this secularized world." They counter modern confusion, enabling discernment of God's will. The Encyclopedia notes retreats' role in "regeneration," directing life "towards God," akin to Lenten penance renewing baptismal promises.
Liturgical norms encourage "devotional exercises" like retreats during Lent to foster preparation for the paschal mystery through intensified liturgy and penance. Paenitemini promotes "extraordinary practices of penitence" in Lent, including exercises of piety, alongside the sacrament of penance. The Ukrainian Catholic Catechism links Lenten fasting to purifying soul and flesh from passions, progressing through repentance to spiritual maturity—ideals realized in retreats.
Retreats thus externalize heart conversion: silence for animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit), meditation on sin for compunctio cordis (repentance of heart), and resolution for amendment.
Popes consistently link retreats to Lenten conversion. Pope Francis calls Lent a "penitential spirit of conversion, like a return to the Father," aligning with retreat goals. Paschale Solemnitatis urges "penitential celebrations" and reconciliation ministry, fitting retreat structures. John Paul II's ecumenical encyclical extends conversion to communal renewal, enriched by "examples of holiness" encountered in retreats.
Lenten retreats faithfully reflect the Catholic tradition of interior conversion by translating the Church's doctrine—from Catechism to papal magisterium—into practical spiritual combat, fostering heart-deep repentance amid Lenten discipline. They invite all to "climb the Holy mountain of Easter" through prayerful withdrawal.