Poverty safeguards religious life, pope tells sisters

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- True poverty safeguards consecrated life and is what allows religious to go throughout the world recognizing people in need and making Christ visible through their response, Pope Francis told the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Meeting members of the order's general chapter Nov. 13, the pope said he really liked the passage in their constitution which says their founder, Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, "grounded the congregation in the Eucharist, anchored it in poverty and dedicated it to Mary."

"I like this: anchored in poverty," the pope said. "Without true poverty, there is no religious life. Poverty is what guards the consecrated life. And not only is it a virtue, no, it is the guardian. Don't forget this."

"This firm foundation has enabled the School Sisters of Notre Dame to go all over the world and witness to the Gospel, making Christ visible through your presence, full of faith, hope and charity," the pope told them.

Members of the general chapter elected Sister M. Dominica Michalke from the order's Bavaria province to be the new superior general. She and the members of the new general council will take office in January and serve until 2030.

Listening is an essential part of a general chapter meeting and discerning the future, the pope told the sisters.

"We like to talk all the time -- to everybody," he said. "But it is so difficult to learn to listen. The Lord also speaks to us through others. Listening to others, and not thinking 'How am I going to respond' while the other person is speaking. No. Listening in a way that arrives in the heart, and then, if I feel like responding, I respond."

"Listening is a virtue that we need to grow in our communities, in consecrated life," the pope said. "Listening to the Lord, but also listening to one's brothers and sisters. This is very important."

After offering his heartfelt blessing "to all your sisters throughout the world," Pope Francis asked how many sisters there are.

He was told there are 1,900. "Greet all of them," he said.