# Pope Leo tells Benedictines: stay rooted in Christ

> Pope Leo XIV thanked 13,000 Benedictine nuns for a hidden life of prayer, and called it a prophetic gift for a restless world.
- Title: Pope Leo tells Benedictines: stay rooted in Christ | Shortify
- Summary: Pope Leo XIV thanked 13,000 Benedictine nuns for a hidden life of prayer, and called it a prophetic gift for a restless world. Quiet, rooted lives still…
- Keywords: pope leo xiv, benedictines, monastic life, vatican, prayer, religion, world, Pope, Leo, tells, stay, rooted
- Source: Vaticannews — https://vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-09/pope-audience-benedictine-women-symposium-cib.html
- Author: Vatican News
- Published: 2026-09-12T11:09:02.993+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pope leo xiv, benedictines, monastic life, vatican, prayer, religion, world
## A thank you for hidden lives
Pope Leo XIV met the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum on Saturday and thanked them for their prayer and the daily offering of their lives.

> humble and silent presence
## Who the CIB is
Founded in 2001, the CIB gathers mostly women's congregations of the Benedictine family. About 13,000 nuns worldwide live by the Rule of Saint Benedict.
## Each person a treasure
He described the CIB's work as an ongoing journey of communion, and pressed for a spiritual synodality where individual difference becomes shared wealth.

> a treasure for all
## Roots before fruit
Quoting Pope Francis on the Benedictine heart expanded by love, Leo said communities rooted deeply in Christ are the ones that bear Gospel fruit.

> a heart expanded by the unspeakable sweetness of love
## From a small seed
Fresh from visits to Subiaco and Montecassino, he called the worldwide Benedictine witness a prophetic gift for a time thirsty for real life, communion and peace.

> from a small seed a great tree has grown
## Prayer, study, work, and wifi
Recalling Saint Paul VI on the Benedictine blend of prayer, study and work, Leo welcomed the CIB's new formation programs for women, including digital ones.
## Key takeaway

Quiet, rooted lives still carry weight: Pope Leo framed Benedictine prayer and communion as a living answer to a world thirsty for peace.