On the eve of Lent, Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics to embrace a form of fasting that is rarely discussed but urgently needed: restraint in speech.
In his message for Lent 2026, released Friday ahead of Ash Wednesday on February 18, the Pope encouraged believers not only to pray and fast in the traditional sense, but also to abstain from words that wound others.
At the heart of his appeal was a simple proposal.
“I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor.”
Returning God to The Center
Pope Leo described Lent as a season meant to re-center the Christian life around God. The path of conversion, he explained, begins when believers allow the Word of God to reach their hearts and renew their commitment to Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
He emphasized that this renewal requires listening — not only to God, but also to other people.
In a world filled with constant noise and competing voices, Sacred Scripture helps believers recognize the cry of those who suffer. Learning to listen, the Pope said, leads to authentic relationships and opens Christians to the needs of the poor, whose struggles challenge both society and the Church.
The Meaning of Fasting
The Pope also reflected on fasting itself. Far from being merely a physical practice, fasting reveals what a person truly desires.
Because it involves the body, he explained, fasting exposes what we think we need and what we actually hunger for. In doing so, it awakens a deeper longing for justice and frees believers from complacency.
Fasting, he said, teaches Christians to govern their desires and redirect them toward God and toward works of charity. But it must be practiced with humility and faith, not as a display of piety or a source of pride.
A Forgotten Abstinence: Speech
Pope Leo then turned to what he called a neglected form of abstinence: the discipline of language.
He urged Catholics to avoid insults, slander, and quick condemnations, especially when speaking about people who are absent and unable to respond. Instead, Christians should measure their words and cultivate kindness in every setting — at home, among friends, at work, online, and even in public debate.
By changing the way they speak, believers can make space for reconciliation.
If practiced sincerely, he said, words of hatred can give way to words of hope and peace.
A Communal Conversion
The Pope stressed that Lent is not only personal but communal. Listening and fasting are meant to be lived within families, parishes, and religious communities.
When Christians attend to the cry of the poor and open themselves to conversion, he said, they strengthen their consciences and improve the quality of their relationships.
Communities shaped by this spirit become places of welcome, particularly for those who suffer.
Concluding his message, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Catholics to seek the strength that comes from fasting even in their speech — allowing fewer hurtful words and more room for the voice of others.