Fasting From “Hurtful Words” And the Modernist Ecumenical Framework
The question is: What now counts as “hurtful”? For if “hurtful” no longer means “contrary to truth and charity,” but rather “contrary to modern sensibilities,” then the phrase becomes a tool not of sanctification; but of doctrinal containment... Prologue: When Words Change, Doctrine Follows There are phrases that sound innocent, even devout. “Fast from hurtful words” is one of them. The Imitator Of Leo in his Lenten message for 2026 says: “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.” At first glance, this sounds pious and harmless. A closer reading reveals how it reflects a Modernist, anthropocentric tendency that obscures the traditional Catholic emphasis on sin, reparation, mor...