France: 91 Contemplative Monasteries Have Closed in 20 Years
The findings come from French sociologist Isabelle Jonveaux, a specialist in monastic life at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), whose research was published by LaVie.fr on July 21.
Several well-known monasteries have already announced their closure for 2026, including La Grande Trappe of Soligny (Orne), the Carmel of Compiègne (Oise), and Notre-Dame du Port-du-Salut (Mayenne).
According to the study, nearly 30% of France's contemplative monasteries have disappeared since 2007. Women's communities have been affected more severely than men's, with 32% of women's monasteries closing compared with 21% of men's.
The pace of closures has also accelerated. Until around 2015, France averaged fewer than four monastery closures per year. Today, the figure is close to ten annually.
Among religious orders, the Carmelites have been the hardest hit, with 34 of 85 monasteries (40%) closing. Similar rates are found among the Poor Clares (about 40%), the Visitandines (30%), and the Trappists (36.4%). By contrast, Dominican monasteries have recorded just 8% closures, while Benedictine monasteries have seen 18%.
No Monastery Using an Exclusively Latin Liturgy Has Closed
One of the study's most striking findings concerns the language used in the Divine Office. In 2007, France had 244 monasteries using French, 36 using both French and Latin, and 23 using Latin exclusively.
Since then:
- 34% of French-language monasteries have closed.
- 19% of monasteries using both French and Latin have closed.
- None of the monasteries whose Divine Office is celebrated exclusively in Latin have closed.
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