Dear Confreres, dear Sisters,

“Papists!” One of my professors in Oxford used to refer to Catholics by that term. He was a professor of diplomatics — the science of ancient charters, or “diplomas” — not of diplomacy, in case you were wondering.

The six weeks since our last NEXUS have turned many people into “papists” again. Pope Francis and then Pope Leo made headlines, and people everywhere followed the events with eager attention — we here in Rome just as much as those around the world. There were many moving moments, great pictures, and now we already have a new pope who seems to be governing the Church with a steady hand. I am not terribly sentimental, I think, but I was quite moved by it all — and not a little proud to be a Catholic. By comparison: Germany and Austria recently had to form new governments. Germany took 72 days, Austria five months. The Catholic Church got everything sorted within 17 days. Not bad for an institution many consider sclerotic.

The first word of Pope Leo XIV from the Loggia of St Peter’s on May 8 was Peace: he greeted the world with a liturgical yet deeply meaningful “La pace sia con voi.” I was reminded of the reflection on peace we had during last year’s Abbots’ Congress. During that Congress, our fellow abbots shared with us the suffering in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and Burkina Faso. Very recently, the Abbot of Koubri wrote an account of the forgotten civil strife in Burkina Faso — you’ll find it in this issue of NEXUS. In Kenya, Benedictine Sisters and other religious had to abandon their missions in the Kerio Valley, a region rife with violence in a country that, not without reason, calls itself “The Pride of Africa.”

When the news of the papal election broke, Abbot Brendan Thomas of Belmont (English Benedictine Congregation) happened to be in Peru, visiting their daughter-house in Lurin. He writes: There was great excitement in the monastery when Pope Leo emerged on the balcony. It was wonderful to see a Pope with a Peruvian heart (and a Peruvian passport!): a man from Chicago to Chiclayo. His words from the balcony in Spanish touched them greatly. Although the monastery is just south of Lima, three monks of the community are from Chiclayo, Pope Leo’s former diocese in the north of Peru, including the Prior Dom Alex Echandia.Dom Miguel Rimarachin was studying at the Seminary in Chiclayo when he first met Bishop Robert. He observed: “He treated everyone with warmth and interest and took time to speak to each of us, to enquire about our progress. He was very down to earth but spoke with passion about evangelising and the church. His love for the church, especially here in Peru was palpable.”A special memory was Bishop Robert’s visit for priestly ordinations. It happened to coincide with Dom Miguel’s birthday. “The Rector of the seminary told Bishop Robert about it being my birthday. He spontaneously hugged me and encouraged me to be faithful to my vocation. When you met Bishop Robert, you always felt very motivated and conscious of the gift of vocation.”

Here at Sant’Anselmo, Pope Leo’s choice of name resonated especially strongly. He has already said that he chose his name in homage to Pope Leo XIII, who was, I believe, one of the greatest popes of the last two centuries. He is, of course, also the founder of the Benedictine Confederation. His vision, energy — and, to be clear, funding — made possible the establishment of Sant’Anselmo, something we are reminded of every day when we enter the sacristy here, dominated by a rather conspicuous monument to Leo XIII. In my dreams, I wonder whether Pope Leo XIV might be moved to do for Benedictine women what his namesake did for us men — helping them secure a firm foothold in Rome for students and professors, and establishing a headquarters for the CIB.

This NEXUS is going out the Saturday before Pentecost — we hope. That also happens to be my feast day, and if you’ll allow me this small indulgence, I’d like to tell you about my patron saint, St Jeremias. As a young monk, I was very inspired by the prophet Jeremias. “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you” (Jer 1:7) really spoke to 19-year-old me when I joined the monastery. But I wanted a Christian saint, and so I finally chose St Jeremias of Córdoba. He had been a merchant in Muslim-dominated Andalusia, and later established two monasteries at Tábanos — one for himself and his sons, and one for his wife and daughters. Eventually, however, he came to believe that martyrdom was an even surer path to salvation than monastic life, and went down into Córdoba to preach against the prophet Mohammed. The consequences were as expected: he was whipped to death in the year of our Lord 851. There are not many images of him, unfortunately. Years ago, I discovered a carved panel depicting him and his fellow martyrs in the choir of the cathedral of Córdoba, but the picture I took has long since disappeared into the depths of my computer.

In the coming weeks, academic life at Sant’Anselmo will wind down for the summer recess. Many of our residents will return to their monasteries, and others from distant countries will visit communities across Europe. Thanks to all who will host our brethren during these months!

I myself will be visiting a number of monasteries in late June and early July, mostly in France. It is a monastic world I am not yet very familiar with, and I look forward to exploring it with my secretary, Fr Patrick Carter.

I wish all of you a joyful Pentecost Sunday and weeks and months filled with the Spirit of hope.

Very fraternally,

Jeremias Schröder OSB
Abbot Primate