Joy and Asceticism: Ecumenical Patriarch's Message for Lent

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CONSTANTINOPLE — His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has issued a message for the beginning of Holy and Great Lent, February 23, 2026, addressing clergy and the faithful worldwide. The Patriarch emphasized that Lent is “the arena of ascetic struggle, the time of fasting and repentance, of humility and prayer, of spiritual vigilance and love,” directing believers toward the life-giving Cross and the joy of Pascha.

He described asceticism as inseparable from the Eucharistic life of the Church, rooted in trust in God, self-transcendence, and charitable love. “Asceticism is not a matter of self-willed choices and subjective particularities, but of submission to the rule and the ‘catholic experience’ of the Church,” he said, stressing that fasting, prayer, repentance, and philanthropy are interconnected.

Patr. Bartholomew also rejected modern misconceptions of asceticism as restrictive or joyless, noting that it brings genuine freedom and liberation from ego and attachment. He reminded the faithful of the Church’s saints and the example of Cheesefare Saturday, calling Lent a “spiritual spring” and a season of preparation, joy, and renewal.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Bp. Vasily welcomed the faithful into Lent. 

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