At his Angelus address on February 27, 2022, Pope Francis encouraged all people to speak charitably. Below is an excerpt from a Vatican News article that summarizes his comments:

We need to focus on the content and tone of our speech, the Pope said, recalling that the Lord’s words, “out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks.” The way we speak reveals what is in our hearts, he observed, and at times we overlook how we speak and the weight our words have for good or bad. Ideally, our words can express our thoughts and feelings honestly and respectfully, and bless God and others, he noted, while on the other hand they can also feed prejudices, harm or even destroy our brothers and sisters through gossip or slander, which “can be sharper than a knife.” This is especially true in the digital world where communication is instant, he pointed out, where all too often we see anger, aggression and false news.

In conclusion, he encouraged everyone to be aware of and strive for “words that express care, respect, understanding, closeness, compassion,” rather than ones that aim only to make us look good or “pollute the world” through vitriol. May we look to Mary, “whose humility God has watched over…help us purify our gaze and our speech.“

-Courtesy of Vatican News