Pope Leo XIV praises the \u2018silent and hidden love\u2019 of cloistered nuns Pope Leo XIV praised the \u201csilent and hidden love\u201d of cloistered nuns who, he said, are free from the slavery of society\u2019s focus on outward appearances. Focusing on the contemplative dimension of the Augustinian nuns, Pope Leo recalled that their founder, St. Augustine, reflected in his book \u201cConfessions\u201d on the joy granted \u201cto those who serve the Lord out of pure love.\u201d In his address, delivered from the Paul VI Audience Hall on Nov. 13, the pope offered his reflection during an audience at the Vatican with participants in the Ordinary Federal Assembly of the Federation of Augustinian Monasteries of Italy. He invited the nuns to embrace \u201cthe cloistered life with enthusiasm,\u201d which, he assured them, will give them \u201cpeace and consolation, and to those who knock on the doors of your monasteries, a message of hope more eloquent than a thousand words.\u201d The pope then emphasized the witness of charity of the cloistered Augustinian nuns and counseled them, in order to spread the fragrance of God throughout the world,\u201d to strive to \u201cto love one another with sincere affection, as sisters, and to carry in your hearts, in secret, every man and woman in this world, to present them to the Father in your prayers.\u201d \u201cIn a society so focused on outward appearances, where people sometimes do not hesitate to violate the respect of others and their feelings in pursuit of a spotlight and applause, may your example of silent and hidden love help others to rediscover the value of daily and discreet charity, focused on the substance of loving one another and free from the slavery of appearances,\u201d he said. At the end of his address, the pope emphasized the communal nature of the federation with the \u201cform of association\u201d promoted by Venerable Pius XII and reaffirmed by Pope Francis to foster fraternity among monasteries with the same charism. \u201cIt is a demanding challenge, but one we cannot shy away from, even at the cost of making difficult choices and sacrifices, and overcoming a certain temptation to \u2018self-referentiality\u2019 that can sometimes seep into our circles,\u201d Leo XIV cautioned. The pope thanked the Augustinian nuns for all they do and promised them his prayers and heartfelt blessing. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Almudena Mart\u00ednez-Bordi\u00fa Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Vatican publishes regulations on the awarding of public contracts Analysis: Pope Francis\u2019 Next Chapter Will Look Very Different By the numbers: How the Catholic Church has changed during Pope Francis\u2019 pontificate The Church Celebrates the 750th Anniversary of St. Thomas Aquinas: A Legacy of Faith and Reason Patriarchates of Jerusalem: Forced evacuation of Gaza City is a \u2018death sentence\u2019 Pope Francis thanks Vatican journalists for reporting on scandals in the Church<\/p>\n