Lent 2021
This year, Lent starts on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, and ends on Thursday, April 1 with evening mass on Holy Thursday. Lent is the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday until Easter. It is a period observed by Christians as preparation for Easter, involving prayer, fasting and penitence.
The Latest
Vatican cardinal reflects on the value of penance in a time of pandemic
The penance called for in the Christian life, and accentuated during Lent, can help us make sense of the sacrifices... Read more
Review: 2021 Lenten fish sandwiches
CNA's 2021 review of Lenten fast food fish sandwich offerings. Read more
Pope Francis on Ash Wednesday: Lent is a journey from slavery to freedom
The 40 days of Lent are an opportunity to turn from the slavery of sin to the freedom found in... Read more
Pope Francis: ‘Experience Lent with love’ by caring for those affected by pandemic
Pope Francis has encouraged Catholics to practice charity in Lent this year by caring for those affected by the coronavirus... Read more
Pandemic forces changes to Roman Curia’s annual Lenten retreat
Pope Francis has asked members of the Roman Curia to make their own arrangements for a private retreat at the... Read more
Ash Wednesday 2021: Vatican offers guidance on ash distribution amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Vatican gave guidance Tuesday about how priests can distribute ashes on Ash Wednesday 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
Dioceses permit meat on Lent Fridays due to coronavirus
Several dioceses across the United States have dispensed Catholics from the canonical requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays during... Read more
Pope Francis' morning Mass livestreamed this week
Pope Francis’ daily morning Mass, offered in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where he lives, is... Read more
'Never dialogue with the devil,' Pope Francis says
Pope Francis said Sunday to follow Christ’s example when dealing with the temptation to sin: send the devil away or... Read more
Pope Francis to miss Lent retreat due to cold
Pope Francis said Sunday he will not take part in his annual Lenten retreat with the Roman Curia in Ariccia... Read more
Pope Francis' Lent advice: Put down phone, pick up Bible
Pope Francis urged Catholics Wednesday to use the season of Lent to spend less time immersed in the chatter and... Read more
Filipino archbishop requests abstinence from applause during Mass
In a pastoral letter anticipating the beginning of Lent on Wednesday, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan has asked that the... Read more
Personal conversion needed to confront Satan's lies, pope says in Lent message
There is an urgent need for personal conversion, without which the temptations of Satan, and the presence of evil, create... Read more
This unique chant brings Vietnamese Catholics deeper into Christ's Passion
While the Stations of the Cross are a worldwide Lenten devotion for Catholics, the faithful in Vietnam have an additional... Read more
Francis: Let us restore Confession ‘to the place it deserves’ in Catholic life
Pope Francis called for the Sacrament of Confession to be elevated in the pastoral life of the Church during a... Read more
Pope Francis tells Catholics not to abuse God's mercy
The mercy of God is not an invitation to “spiritual laziness,” but requires a sincere and prompt response from those... Read more
Pope Francis calls for 'gestures of peace' in wake of mosque attacks
Pope Francis called for gestures of peace to oppose hatred and violence Sunday in the wake of attacks on two... Read more
Utah school apologizes after student forced to remove Lenten ashes
A school district in Utah has issued an apology after a fourth-grade student was told by a teacher that he... Read more
Lenten fasting advice from the Pope who faced Attila the Hun
As Christians prepare to engage in the fasting and abstinence of Lent, they can find guidance in the words of... Read more
Fat Tuesday pancake race: People flip out to show off their skill-ets
Fat Tuesday celebrations have included parades, carnivals, and parties. But have you ever heard of a pancake race? Read more
