Abstain from hateful words: Pope Leo
International
Pope Leo XIV has invited Catholics to open themselves to listening, fasting and community, urging them to abstain from words of hatred in order to make space for words of hope and peace.
“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 neighbour,” Pope Leo XIV said in his message for Lent 2026 released on February 13.
As Lent began on Ash Wednesday, February 18, the Pope said this liturgical season offered Christians an opportunity to place the mystery of God at the centre of their lives.
Every journey of conversion, he said, begins by letting God’s word touch our hearts, so that we may renew our commitment to follow Christ in the mystery of His saving passion, death and resurrection.
“In the midst of the many voices present in our personal lives and in society, sacred Scripture helps us to recognise and respond to the cry of those who are anguished and suffering,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV then turned to how fasting helps open us to the deep desire for justice, which he said frees us from complacency.
“Precisely because it involves the body, fasting makes it easier to recognise what we ‘hunger’ for and what we deem necessary for our sustenance,” he said.
“Moreover, it helps us to identify and order our ‘appetites,’ keeping our hunger and thirst for justice alive”.
Pope Leo pointed to an under-appreciated form of abstinence, which was refraining from hurtful words.
“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 said.
Source: Vatican Media
