Message of Pope Leo XIV for Lent 2026
Listening and Fasting:
Lent as a Time of Conversion
Pope Leo XIV's message for Lent 2026, entitled
“Listening and fasting. Lent as a time of Conversion,” was published on Friday,
February 13, by the Holy See Press Office.
In his message, the Holy Father
explains that “Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of
maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our
lives,” so that “the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice
of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on
the road to Jerusalem”. During this Lent, Pope Leo XIV invites us first of all
to ask for “the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God
and to the least among us” and to be able to “allow God to teach us how to
listen as he does.”
“Our parishes, families, ecclesial groups and
religious communities are called to undertake a shared journey during Lent, in
which listening to the word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor and of
the earth, becomes part of our community life,” the Holy Father
emphasizes.
In addition, the Pope encouraged us to ask for
“strength that comes from the type of fasting that also extends to our use of
language, so that hurtful words may diminish and give way to a greater space
for the voice of others.”
“Let us strive to make our communities places where
the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths towards
liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization
of love,” he wrote.
Listening and fasting
Similarly, the Holy Father emphasized the importance
of giving space “through listening,” since
“the willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter
into relationship with someone.”
Referring to fasting, the Pope explained that “it is a
concrete way to prepare ourselves to receive the word of God,” so it is
important to “keep our hunger and thirst for justice alive... Thus, it teaches
us to pray and act responsibly towards our neighbor.”
Disarming language
Finally, during this Lent, the Holy Father invites us
to disarm “our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining
from slander.”
“Let us strive to measure our words and cultivate
kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social
media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities.
In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace,”
he encouraged.
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