Reversing a crisis: Pope offers encouragement to religious orders

Published: 2008-02-22

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Pope Benedict XVI met with the superiors of religious orders recently, most media coverage focused on the pope's description of the "difficult crisis" religious life is facing. But like many papal talks and encounters, his realistic assessment of problems was matched by appreciation, encouragement and some advice for the future. At the end of the 90-minute session, participants left feeling encouraged and even "thrilled" at the pope's interest and support, according to one participant in the closed-door meeting. The encounter had been requested for several years by the international federations of male and female religious orders, so just the fact that it happened was considered a positive development. Present at the Feb. 18 meeting were the pope, three Vatican officials and 21 superiors general who represented, in a sense, the approximately 950,000 men and women religious around the world.

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