Cloistered nuns should limit Twitter use: Vatican

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has issued new guidelines for cloistered nuns, reminding them that they’re supposed to live separated from the world and in silence — and therefore shouldn’t be tweeting too much or downloading too much news.

The instructions from the Vatican’s office for religious orders cover a host of administrative and financial issues. Included are norms for when a monastery must be closed because the number of nuns shrinks to the point that the community is no longer viable — an increasingly frequent occurrence.

The document released Tuesday also reminds contemplative nuns that theirs is a silent vocation. It says social communication must be used “with sobriety and discretion, not only with regard to the contents but also to the quantity of information and the type.”