Vatican City - This evening, Friday, 27 February 2026, the cycle of meditations led by Bishop Erik Varden, Trappist monk, Prelate of Trondheim, and Apostolic Administrator of Tromsø, concluded as part of the Lenten spiritual exercises for the Holy Father, the Roman Curia, and the cardinals.
The theme of the exercises, "Illuminated by a Hidden Glory", offered an intense and profound spiritual journey, repeatedly challenging the Pope and his collaborators, supporting them in their path of intimacy and communion with the Lord. The cardinals and archbishops who participated in the spiritual exercises over these days expressed “great appreciation” for the reflections offered by Bishop Varden. His words guided them to “meditate on profound themes,” while also providing “the opportunity to dedicate time to the Lord, allowing Him to speak to [their] hearts.” Many highlighted the value of the monastic style adopted by Varden, appreciating its “sobriety and essentiality.” Several participants favourably noted “the absence of prolixity, often observed in the past, when some preachers seemed more interested in impressing the ecclesiastical hierarchy than fostering an authentic encounter with the Lord.”
A Style and a Programme
In the concluding part of the spiritual exercises, Varden chose to reflect on the De Consideratione, a work by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. This treatise, composed of five books, was written in 1145 when one of Bernard’s disciples, Bernard Pignatelli, was elected Pope under the name Eugene III. At the Pope’s request, and as his spiritual father, Bernard wrote a text that not only offered advice on how to exercise the Petrine ministry but also represented a profound meditation on the mystery of the Church and Christ. As Benedict XVI emphasised in a General Audience on 21 October 2009, the De Consideratione “remains a suitable reading for Popes of all times” and concludes with an invitation to the continuous search for God: “This God, who has not yet been sought enough, should still be sought; perhaps He can be sought better and found more easily through prayer than through discussion. Let us therefore end the book here, but not the search” (XIV, 32: PL 182, 808). For Bernard, “consideration” translates more properly as “contemplation,” which he considers to be the essential quality of the successor of Peter. This invitation to contemplation is accompanied by a vision of the pontificate as service, not as an exercise of power. Bernard warns the Pope to avoid cordis duritia (hardness of heart), a condition that can result from excessive activity and risks distancing man from salvation. To counter this danger, he proposes the disdain for honours and an attitude of humility, reminding that the Petrine ministry is not a privilege but a service. He writes: “Reflect (…) that you are supreme not by completed perfection, but by comparison, and do not think I mean a comparison of merits, but of ministries.”
Bernard also dwells on the unique role of the Pope, drawing inspiration from the Gospel of John, in the passage where the Risen Christ appears on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. He writes: “As soon as Peter recognised the Lord, he threw himself into the water and reached Him, while the others arrived by boat. [This fact…] is a sign of Peter’s singular authority as pontiff […]. [Peter] received the governance of the whole world, not of a single boat as the other apostles did. The sea, in fact, is the world, while the boats are the Churches. Thus, while each of the other bishops has their own boat, to you [Pontiff] has been entrusted one single, immense boat, made up of all the others, and it is the universal Church, spread across the whole earth” (De Cons. II, VIII, 16).
The treatise also addresses the difficulties related to the person of the Pope, including the legal tasks that often overwhelm him. Bernard reminds that the Pope is not only the successor of the apostles but also the heir of the entire world, over which he does not exercise dominion, as the only true Lord is Christ. For this reason, the pontiff is called to convert, admonish heretics, and correct the ambitious. Bernard does not spare criticism of the clergy and the Roman people, urging the Pope to carefully choose his collaborators, avoiding the ambitious, the recommended, and the flatterers. “The qualities that Bernard asks him to seek and cultivate are valid in every age: collaborators are needed who are ‘of proven integrity, available to obedience, patient and meek; […] of secure Catholic faith, faithful in ministry; lovers of concord, peace, and unity; […] prudent in counsel, […] shrewd in administration, […], modest in speech’,” Varden said this morning.
These themes also resonate in the words of Benedict XVI, both in his homily at St John Lateran, on the occasion of his enthronement on the Chair of Rome, and in other moments of his pontificate. Benedict emphasised that the Petrine ministry is a service to faith and truth, not an exercise of power. Like Bernard, he drew attention to humility and the centrality of Christ, affirming that the Pope is called to confirm his brothers in faith and to safeguard the unity of the Church. He reiterated that the power of the Successor of Peter is not an absolute authority but a mandate of obedience to the Word of God, so that it may resonate in its purity and greatness.
Hope without illusions
In his concluding meditation, Bishop Erik Varden offered a profound and articulate reflection on the meaning of Christian hope and the role of the Church in the contemporary world. Starting from the historical context of the Second Vatican Council, he recalled how Pope John XXIII, in opening the conciliar works, had emphasised that “the sacred deposit of Christian doctrine” must be safeguarded and taught effectively, as it “embraces the whole of man, composed of soul and body.” The monk highlighted how this vision remains relevant, especially in an era marked by global crises and a widespread sense of precariousness. “Christ, crucified and risen, embodies the future of humanity,” he affirmed, stressing that the Church is called to proclaim this truth with conviction, without compromise, to respond to the most pressing questions of our time. A central theme of the meditation was the concept of hope, which the bishop distinguished from superficial optimism. “To have Christian hope does not necessarily mean being optimistic,” he explained, “a Christian renounces wishful thinking, choosing resolutely to face reality.” He then warned against the false promises of demagogues, who distract the masses with illusions and superficiality, contrasting these with the words of Christ: “The poor you will always have with you” and “Without me, you can do nothing.” These Gospel reminders, he emphasised, are not signs of resignation but an invitation to work tirelessly for a new humanity, shaped by charity and justice. Bishop Varden also addressed the theme of wounds, both personal and collective, that permeate our time. He drew attention to the figure of the Crucified One, describing Him as “the Wounded-yet-Unconquered,” and explained how the Cross represents not only the symbol of redemptive suffering but also a source of healing and transformation. “The wounds of Christ, after His resurrection, were not eliminated but made glorious,” he reminded, inviting those present to see in their own wounds an opportunity to discover God’s grace. He also emphasised that Lent is a privileged time to contemplate this mystery, fixing one’s gaze on Christ and allowing oneself to be transformed by His light.
Finally, Bishop Varden urged the participants to live their faith authentically and to proclaim the Gospel with authority. He recalled Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who described life’s tribulations as “birth pangs” that lead us to true life, and reminded that the Church, though immersed in the world’s difficulties, is called to be a sign of hope for all. “Our time is hungry to hear this hope proclaimed,” he concluded, inviting those present to be credible witnesses of Christ’s grace, capable of renewing and transforming lives through the power of the Gospel.
Fr.F.V.
Silere non possum