In 20 Years, 91 Monasteries Have Closed in France — None Among Those Whose Office Is Exclusively in Latin

More proof, if you need it, that Latin is the true language of the Church and that Tradition is thriving whilst the vernacular is dying.

From Rorate Cæli

By Michel Janva

Le Salon Beige

July 22, 2026

In 2026 alone — a year not yet finished — the Grande-Trappe de Soligny (Orne), the Carmel of Compiègne (Oise), and Notre-Dame du Port du Salut (Mayenne) have all closed.

Sociologist Isabelle Jonveaux has examined Catholic contemplative monasteries and published her findings in La Vie.

Over the past twenty years, nearly a third of monasteries (approximately 30%) have closed. Women's monasteries have been proportionally harder hit: 32% of them have closed, compared to 21% of men's monasteries. And the pace is accelerating: until 2015, there were fewer than four closures per year on average. That figure now stands at around ten per year.

Carmels have seen 40% of their number close in twenty years (34 out of 85). The proportions are similar among the Poor Clares (approximately 40% closure) and the Visitation Sisters (30%). The Trappists are also facing a high rate of closure (36.4%). The Dominicans (8%) and the Benedictines — men and women combined — (18%) are comparatively less affected.

A particularly striking finding of this study is that the crisis has not affected monasteries uniformly.

In 2007, there were 244 French-language monasteries, 36 mixing French and Latin, and 23 monasteries using Latin exclusively. [Rorate Note: this includes those using the new rite, such as Saint Peter and Saint Cecilia in Solesmes.]

• - Among monasteries whose office was conducted in French in 2007, 34% have closed.
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• - That figure falls to 19% for those using both French and Latin.
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• - It drops to 0% for those whose office was exclusively in Latin.

Pictured: La Grande Trappe Abbey Church, Mother House of the Trappists, closed in 2026