Pope Leo XIV has invited Catholics to embrace listening, fasting, and community as they prepare to enter the season of Lent, with a particular emphasis on abstaining from hurtful language to foster hope and peace.
Pope Leo XIV’s Message for Lent 2026
The Pope released his message for Lent 2026 on Friday, urging Christians to place the mystery of God at the center of their lives as Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18.
He stated that every journey of conversion begins with allowing God’s word to touch our hearts, renewing our commitment to follow Christ through his passion, death, and resurrection.
The Importance of Listening and Fasting
Pope Leo focused on the importance of listening to both God and those around us, fostering authentic relationships. He noted that Scripture helps recognize and respond to the suffering of others amidst the many voices in our lives and society.
Christians can cultivate openness to listening, as God does, by acknowledging how the poor challenge our lives, economic systems, and the Church, he said.
The Pope then turned to the role of fasting in opening us to a desire for justice, freeing us from complacency. Fasting, he explained, helps us recognize our true needs and order our appetites, keeping our hunger for justice alive.
He added that fasting teaches us to govern our desires, purifying and expanding them to focus on God and good deeds, but cautioned against pride and emphasized the importance of humility and communion with the Lord.
Abstaining from Hurtful Words
Pope Leo then highlighted an often-overlooked form of abstinence: refraining from words that offend and hurt others. He encouraged disarming our language, avoiding harsh words, rash judgement, slander, and speaking ill of those who cannot defend themselves.
Instead, he urged striving for kindness and respect in all aspects of life – families, friendships, work, social media, political debates, media, and Christian communities – so that words of hatred may give way to words of hope and peace.
Community and Conversion
The Pope emphasized the communal aspect of listening and fasting, which can be practiced within parishes, families, and religious communities. By listening to the cry of the poor and pursuing conversion to Christ, he said, we train our conscience and improve the quality of our lives and relationships.
This involves allowing ourselves to be challenged by reality and recognizing what truly guides our desires within our communities and regarding humanity’s thirst for justice and reconciliation.
Pope Leo XIV concluded by calling for Christian communities to be welcoming places for those who suffer, seeking strength from fasting – including in our use of language – so that hurtful words diminish and make space for the voices of others.
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