Saying No to Gossip

Anne DeSantis ponders the need to take action against gossip by following Pope Francis' advice.

Saying No

Our Holy Father has stated, “Don’t gossip. Every time we judge our brother in our hearts or worse when we speak badly of them with others, we are murdering Christians. There is no such thing as innocent slander.” A wonderful quote from Pope Francis which begs us to ask the question: am I gossiping about people? Am I condemning others in a secretive and deceitful way?

This is a good question, because as people of faith, and as moms, we may tend to focus on catechesis, theology of the body, and following the rules of Catholicism but we may still be badmouthing others, bullying, and talking about people behind their backs. This may be just as sinful as sins we may look at as worse.

How Do We Stop Gossiping as Moms?

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a younger mom, or an older mom, it can be a temptation when meeting with groups of other like-minded people to begin to talk about people we feel are on a bad path, less than us in some spiritual way, or who are away from their faith. Tempting or not, it is wrong, and we must always look to God to realize how blessed we are to have faith and to believe.

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who never had the opportunity to understand the importance to practicing the Catholic religion and who may not have had a good upbringing. This is hard to do, but if we wish to be close to the Lord and truly evangelize, we must say no to gossip, bullying, and judging. God is calling all of us to Him, and one way is through our humility, prayer, and love of those who need to know and feel His love through our actions and our care.