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.