Collegio Sant’Anselmo held its Fall Semester Day of Formation on Saturday 25 October, gathering more than one hundred resident monks and religious for study and reflection on the theme Per un uso monastico di Internet? The event addressed a question of growing relevance for monastic communities worldwide: How can digital media be integrated into religious life without compromising its essential disciplines?

Prior Brendan Coffey OSB, who coordinated the day and served as moderator, introduced the speaker, Professor Isabelle Jonveaux. A sociologist of religion and professor at the University of Fribourg, she has conducted field research on monastic life in Europe and Africa for two decades. One of her topics deals with the impact of the internet and social media on religious communities.

Professor Jonveaux delivered her conference in Italian in two parts. The first examined how internet use intersects with key elements of monastic life, including community relations, enclosure and ascetic discipline. Drawing on sociological data and testimonies from various monastic contexts, she noted a steady shift from communal to highly individual digital access, particularly through smartphones. This development, she argued, demands renewed personal responsibility and communal support if monastic values are to be preserved.

Following the first session, residents of the Collegio divided into small deanery groups for discussion. This format allowed monks from different congregations and cultures to share perspectives from their home monasteries. The conversations acknowledged both the benefits of digital communication—such as maintaining connections within the Benedictine family worldwide—and the challenges posed by distraction, erosion of silence and the blurring of boundaries between cloister and outside world.

The second conference turned to the external presence of monastic communities online, especially through social media. Professor Jonveaux explored the opportunities and risks of digital visibility, including questions of personal exposure, community identity and credibility in a media culture driven by personal branding. She encouraged careful reflection on how a specifically monastic voice might be sustained in the fast-paced environment of social media.

A plenary discussion followed, during which participants raised practical questions about formation, pastoral expectations and community policies regarding internet use. Speaking after the event, Prior Brendan said: “It was really a successful and enriching experience. I would like to renew my invitation to the Deans to continue their reflection on this issue in the coming weeks.”

The Day of Formation confirmed the importance of ongoing discernment as monastic communities engage with a digital world that continues to reshape patterns of communication, work and human relationships. Sant’Anselmo intends to continue this reflection, grounded in the Benedictine search for balance and the discretio that guides monastic judgement.