Vatican City – In the quiet of the Pauline Chapel, the fifth reflection of the Lenten Spiritual Exercises for the Roman Curia took place this evening, Tuesday, 24 February 2026. In the presence of the Holy Father Leo XIV, the Cardinals, and Heads of Dicasteries, the preacher Bishop Erik Varden O.C.S.O. continued the cycle of meditations titled "Illuminated by a Hidden Glory", offering a profound and scathing reflection on the nature of truth and the snares that threaten those called to serve it.
The day of prayer opened this morning at 9:00 a.m. with the prayer of None, followed by the first daily meditation centred on the theme "Becoming Free". But it was this afternoon that the spiritual journey offered by the Trappist monk reached one of its summits with the meditation titled "The Splendour of Truth", followed by Eucharistic Adoration and the celebration of Vespers.
Temptation as a Necessary Trial
Bishop Varden, a Trappist and refined intellectual, opened the evening reflection by recalling once again the teaching of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, exhorting those present to cultivate a state of vigilant attention. "No one lives on earth without temptation," the preacher reminded them, emphasising how the Christian life requires a difficult balance: on one hand, trust in divine help, and on the other, a healthy distrust of one's own frailty.
Far from being a mere obstacle, temptation was presented as a crucible useful for purification. "As we resist arrows launched by the Father of Lies, our commitment to the truth will be strengthened," Varden explained. It is precisely in the refusal of the falsehood that weakens the spirit that the capacity to convert is born and, consequently, to strengthen the brethren.
Ambition: A Madness that "Blinds Hearts"
The central passage of this meditation concerned ambition, defined without mincing words as a negation of the truth and a form of cupidity. Drawing again on the wisdom of St. Bernard, Bishop Varden described this vice with words of rare power, defining it as "a subtle ill, a secret virus, an occult pest".
The preacher's words resonated with particular gravity before the highest levels of the ecclesiastical hierarchy within the Apostolic Palace: ambition is "the mother of hypocrisy, the parent of envy", a destructive force capable of "causing virtues to rust, holiness to rot, hearts to be blinded". Varden emphasised how ambition springs from a true "alienation of the mind": it is a madness that manifests when one forgets who one is and whom one serves.
With a touch of pungent cultural realism, the preacher observed how the figure of the ambitious priest has become an almost comic – yet tragic – trope in literature and cinema, from the characters of Jane Austen to the cynicism portrayed in the film Ridicule. A clear warning that the reality of curial service must never descend into such caricature. Varden did not indicate this risk only for those clothed in holy orders, but also for those religious women and laypeople participating in these exercises precisely by virtue of the fact that they are at the helm of a Dicastery.
The Christian Response: Holiness as Incarnate Truth
Faced with Pilate's question, "What is truth?", which still resounds today in the heart of a confused and fearful world, the Church cannot remain silent nor offer banal answers. Bishop Varden exhorted those present not to waste energy on "the silly temptations of fear, vainglory, and ambition". The only credible answer is Christ, who not only shields but renews.
The preacher warned against the temptation to conform to the world's fashions, a procedure defined as "dubious". The Church, with her slow pace, risks always arriving late if she seeks to imitate worldly language. On the contrary, if she remains faithful to her own language – that of the Bible, the liturgy, and the saints – she will be capable of being "original and fresh, ready to express ancient truths in new ways".
The conclusion of the meditation recalled the universal call to holiness, the true legacy of the Second Vatican Council. Citing Cardinal Schuster, Varden reminded them that even when people no longer believe in preaching, "in the presence of holiness, they still believe, they still kneel and pray". It is the splendour of truth that manifests itself in personal form, through a love purified of compromise, that makes the Christian faith compelling.
Tomorrow's Programme
The Spiritual Exercises will continue tomorrow, Wednesday, 25 February, with a programme marked by moments of prayer and reflection. At 9:00 a.m., the prayer of None will take place, followed by the morning meditation on the theme "A Thousand Shall Fall". In the afternoon, at 5:00 p.m., the afternoon meditation titled "I Will Glorify Him" will take place, followed by Eucharistic Adoration and the singing of Vespers. The Spiritual Exercises constitute a fundamental moment of pause and discernment for the governance of the universal Church, a time in which primacy is given not to action, but to listening.
fr. P.V.
Silere non possum