At his weekly General Audience on April 26, 2023, Pope Francis spoke of monks and nuns in the context of his catechesis on apostolic zeal. He referred to the monks and nuns as the “beating heart” of the Church’s mission.

As part of his reflection, the pope spoke of the medieval Armenian monk, Gregory of Narek, as the example par excellence of the universal, all-embracing love which Christian are called to.

Asking what contribution men and women living in an enclosed monastery make towards the announcing of the Gospel, the pope rhetorically proposed a more effective way to contribute. His tongue in cheek proposal is one often heard in society and in the Church. “Wouldn’t it be better, if they dedicated their energies to mission?” he suggested.

He then went on to explain what he sees as their already most valuable contribution.

“Monks and nuns,” he said, “are the “beating heart of the Church’s proclamation— their prayer is oxygen for all the members of the Body of Christ, the invisible force that sustains the mission.”

He then pointed out that the patron saint of mission is the Discalced Carmelite nun, Thérèse of Lisieux. In 2023 the Church is celebrating the 150^th anniversary of St. Thérèse’s birth and the 100th anniversary of her beatification.

Using St. Gregory as a specific example, Pope Francis spoke of his “universal solidarity” – his identification with all people and his decision to dedicate his life to praying for them. The pope then said that this universal solidarity is a feature of the lives of all monks and nuns. The monks and nuns, in imitation of Christ, "take on the world's problems, the difficulties, the illnesses, many things, and pray for others." Cloistered religious, he said, are always busy - with work, and with prayer. 

Pope Francis concluded by encouraging people to visit monasteries whenever possible. "It'll do you good!"

The enclosed Carmelite nuns have a long history, being officially recognized by the Church with the papal bull Cum nulla issue by Pope Nicolaus V in 1452. According to the 2019 Status Ordinis, there are 757 nuns in the Order, living in 83 monasteries.