Pope Leo XIV Demands Christians Fast From Harsh Words This Lent: His Most Powerful Message Yet

Pope Leo XIV Urges Catholics to Stop Using Harsh Words and Fast From Hurtful Speech This Lent 2026

Pope Leo XIV has released his first Lenten message as pontiff, calling on the faithful to embrace a powerful and often overlooked form of fasting: abstaining from harsh and hurtful words.

The message, released on February 13, 2026, ahead of Ash Wednesday on February 18, centers on the theme "Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion."

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.

Pope Leo XIV made this appeal to Catholics worldwide.

The Pope went further, urging believers to completely disarm their language during the 40 day Lenten season and beyond.

Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves.

He specifically called out several areas where hurtful speech has become rampant, including families, workplaces, social media, political debates, and even Christian communities themselves.

Instead, 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.

The Pope also emphasized the importance of listening as a foundational spiritual practice, noting that "the willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter into relationship with someone."

He connected traditional fasting to a deeper spiritual hunger, explaining that "precisely because it involves the body, fasting makes it easier to recognize what we 'hunger' for and what we deem necessary for our sustenance."

Pope Leo XIV concluded his message by calling parishes and families to undertake this Lenten journey together, making their communities places where those who suffer find welcome and compassion.

Pope Leo XIV's First Lenten Message Calls for an End to Slander and Harsh Judgement

This is Pope Leo XIV's first Lent as the leader of the Catholic Church, and his focus on the power of words carries weight at a time when online discourse and political speech have reached new levels of hostility worldwide.

Let us ask for the 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.

The message calls on all Christians, not just Catholics, to reflect on how their words affect others and to replace hatred with hope and peace.

The Crusader's Opinion

Pope Leo is right. The tongue is a fire, and Christians across every denomination have let it burn unchecked for too long. We spend our energy tearing each other apart on social media while the world watches and laughs. Meanwhile, our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, China, and North Korea are being imprisoned and killed for the faith we claim to hold dear. If we cannot even speak to each other with basic Christian charity, how do we expect the world to take our witness seriously? Lent is the perfect time to shut our mouths and open our ears. Let the fasting begin with our keyboards.

Take Action

• Commit to a personal "word fast" this Lent. For 40 days, refuse to post negative comments on social media or speak critically of others behind their backs.
• Share Pope Leo XIV's Lenten message with your church community and small group. Read the full text here.
• Support persecuted Christians who cannot speak freely about their faith. Donate at www.TheShepherdsShield.org or through Open Doors.
• Write to your local church leaders and ask them to include Pope Leo's message on disarming language in this Sunday's sermon or bulletin.
• Start a Lenten prayer group focused on James 3:1–12, the passage on taming the tongue, and meet weekly to hold each other accountable.