Pope Francis remembers cloistered religious communities

Vatican City, 20 Nov 2013: At the close of his General Audience on Wednesday in St. Peter’s square, Pope Francis expressed great appreciation for the testimony of cloistered life in the Catholic Church. The Holy Father said: ‘Tomorrow, 21 November, the feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, we celebrate the Pro Orantibus Day, dedicated to remembering cloistered religious communities. It is a good opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves to God in prayer and silent work.’

Inviting people to support the cloistered communities spiritually and materially, the Pope said: ‘Let us give thanks to the Lord for the testimony of cloistered life and do not miss our brothers and sisters, our spiritual and material support to enable them to carry out their important mission.’

On Thursday evening, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit a Camaldolese monastery of cloistered nuns on the Aventine Hill in Rome, where he will celebrate Vespers. The visit is in conjunction with the Day of cloistered nuns and the Year of Faith. The community of the Camaldolese nuns of Rome was founded in the eighteenth century by the encounter between a young widow, mother of three children, Angela Pezza, and the monks "cenobites" Camaldolensian S. Gregorio al Celio.
Source: VR Sedoc