In Lenten meditation, Bishop Erik Varden addresses abuse, corruption

Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, chosen by Pope Leo XIV to deliver the 2026 Lenten spiritual exercises to the pope and senior members of the Roman Curia, on Wednesday offered a searing reflection on the duty of Church leaders to face the ongoing crisis of abuse and coverup squarely and unstintingly.

“Falls can humble us when we are puffed up, showing God’s power to save,” Varden said in his opening remarks on Wednesday morning in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.