The Camaldolese Nuns profess the Rule of St. Benedict with their own Constitutions and refer to the Tradition of Camaldoli.
A characteristic element of the Camaldolese Tradition is the unity of the monastic family in the threefold good:
cenobio, solitudine, evangelium paganorum.
The Camaldolese community consists of two congregations: the Congregation of Camaldolese Monks and the Congregation of Camaldolese Nuns.
The nuns are present in five countries: Italy, Poland, Tanzania, Brazil, and India.
“Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms—never leave it.
If you have just come to the monastery, and in spite of your good will you cannot accomplish what you want, take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind.
And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more.
Realize above all that you are in God’s presence, and stand there with the attitude of one who stands before the emperor.
Empty yourself completely and sit waiting, content with the grace of God, like the chick who tastes nothing and eats nothing but what his mother brings him.”
There are three gifts for those who seek the way of the Lord: for novices coming from the world, a monastery is desired; for those who were mature and thirsty for the living God, perfect solitude; and for those who desires to separate themselves from this life and be with Christ, the opportunity to preach the Gospel to the pagans.
