Pope Leo XIV has begun a six-day Lenten retreat with the Roman Curia at the Vatican, led by Norwegian Cistercian Bishop Erik Varden. Source: EWTN News.
Bishop Varden is delivering his meditations for the February 22–27 retreat in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace.
Bishop Varden opened the retreat by urging Christians to resist using the Gospel as a political weapon and to measure authentic faith by fidelity to Christ – and by the peace believers embody.
“Fidelity to Christ’s example and commandments is the hallmark of Christian sincerity,” Bishop Varden said in his first meditation.
“The extent of the peace we embody – that signal peace ‘which the world cannot give’ – indicates Jesus’ abiding presence in us.
“We must insist on this now, when the Gospel is sometimes deployed as a weapon in culture wars.”
Bishop Varden called on Christians to contest “instrumentalisations of Christian language and signs,” not merely with indignation but by teaching what real spiritual struggle looks like.
“Instrumentalisations of Christian language and signs should be challenged, not just by wan outrage but by teaching the terms of authentic spiritual warfare,” he said. “For Christian peace is not a promise of ease; it is a condition for a transformed society.”
In the same meditation, Bishop Varden pointed to anger as a spiritual danger, citing St John Climacus: “There is no greater obstacle to the presence of the Spirit in us than anger.”
He also reflected on the Church’s Lenten discipline as a “program” marked by clarity and peace: Lent “confronts us with essentials,” he said, stripping away distractions and inviting “an abstinence of the senses,” while still calling believers to battle vice and harmful passions with a straightforward “yes, yes,” and “no, no.”
Bishop Varden noted the Church’s liturgy sets the tone from the outset of Lent, pointing to the traditional chant of Psalm 90 (91), Qui Habitat, sung on the first Sunday of Lent as the Gospel recounts Christ’s temptation in the wilderness.
FULL STORY
Pope Leo XIV begins Lenten spiritual exercises led by Bishop Erik Varden (By Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News)
Varden: Don’t use the Gospel as a weapon (By Angela Ambrogetti, ACI Stampa via EWTN News)
