Vatican City: The annual Lenten Spiritual Exercises for Pope Leo XIV, Cardinals residing in Rome, and heads of the Roman Curia are set to take place from February 22 to 27, under the guidance of Bishop Erik Varden, a Trappist prelate renowned for his contemplative insight. The theme for this year’s exercises is “Illuminated by a Hidden Glory,” reflecting a focus on deep spiritual insight and interior transformation.
The exercises will commence on Sunday, February 22, at 5:00 p.m. in the Pauline Chapel, with the presence of Pope Leo XIV, Curial Cardinals, and the heads of Vatican Dicasteries. The Prefecture of the Papal Household confirmed the schedule in a note released on Wednesday, outlining that Bishop Varden will guide participants through a series of meditations designed to deepen prayer, reflection, and communion with God during the Lenten season.
From Monday, February 23, to Friday, February 27, Bishop Varden will deliver two daily meditations: the first at 9:00 a.m., preceded by Mid-Morning Prayer, and the second at 5:00 p.m., followed by Eucharistic Adoration and Vespers.
The inaugural reflection, on Sunday, February 22, will explore the theme “Entering Lent.” The series will also include meditations centered on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, examining him through two lenses: “Saint Bernard, the Idealist” and “Saint Bernard, the Realist,” scheduled for the afternoon of February 26. Other meditative topics will include God’s help, becoming free, the splendor of truth, a thousand will fall, “I will glorify Him”, the angels of God, and reflection and discernment, culminating in a final meditation on “Communicating Hope.”
Bishop Erik Varden, born on May 13, 1974, in Sarpsborg, Norway, serves as the Bishop of Trondheim since 2019. He entered the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) in 2002 and made his solemn profession at Mount St. Bernard Abbey, Leicestershire, in 2007. Ordained a priest in 2011, Bishop Varden combined academic teaching at the Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm in Rome with work for Vatican Radio’s Scandinavian section before returning to Mount St. Bernard Abbey, eventually being elected Abbot in 2015.
In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop Prelate of Trondheim, and he was consecrated in 2020. Since 2023, he has also served as Apostolic Administrator of Tromsø and, from 2024, as President of the Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference. Pope Leo XIV further appointed him in 2025 as a Member of the Dicastery for the Clergy. Bishop Varden’s scholarly and monastic formation, combined with his pastoral experience, positions him to lead this year’s Lenten exercises with contemplative depth and practical insight.
The Spiritual Exercises promise to offer Pope Leo XIV and the leaders of the Roman Curia an opportunity for renewed spiritual focus, deep reflection, and preparation for the Lenten journey, encouraging participants to be “illuminated by a hidden glory” as they pursue holiness and service in the Church.