Pope Leo issues his 1st Lenten message, ‘Listening and Fasting’
February 13, 2026
Pope Leo XIV has issued his first Lenten message, entitled “Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion.”
“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, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life,” Pope Leo began in his message, dated February 5 and released today. “Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit.”
“There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about,” the Pope continued. “For this reason, 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, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled.”
Following the message’s three sections—entitled “Listening,” “Fasting,” and “Together”—the Pope concluded:
Dear friends, let us ask for the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. 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.
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. I impart my heartfelt blessing upon all of you and your Lenten journey.
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