There is no patron saint of liars, because the Church never makes a saint the patron of a sin; but anyone who struggles with lying has a powerful friend in St. Peter, who lied three times to save himself on the night Jesus was arrested, wept bitterly, and was forgiven and restored by the risen Lord. Other saints are models of truthfulness: St. Thomas More, who died rather than swear an oath he believed false, and St. John Nepomucene, patron of those suffering from slander. “The Patron Saint of Liars” is also the title of a 1992 novel by Ann Patchett. Below are the saints who can help, what Scripture says about lying, and prayers for honesty, for a child who lies and for someone who has been lied to.
A short prayer for honesty, written for this page:
St. Peter, you knew the shame of a lie and the joy of being forgiven.
Pray for me, that I may stop hiding behind untruths,
have the courage to be honest, and trust that the truth will set me free. Amen.
Why is there no patron saint of liars?
Patron saints are chosen because of something good: a saint’s work, virtue, suffering or story. A saint can be the patron of people who suffer from something, such as illness or temptation, or of people who want to overcome a fault, but never the patron of the fault itself. So instead of a patron of liars, Catholics turn to saints who knew the struggle with truth and won it, and who can help those who want to stop lying.
St. Peter, the apostle who lied and was forgiven
On the night of the Last Supper, Peter swore that he would die rather than deny Jesus. Hours later, frightened in the courtyard of the high priest, he denied three times that he even knew Him. When the cock crowed, Jesus turned and looked at him, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. After the Resurrection, Jesus gave him three chances to undo his three denials (John 21:15–17, Douay-Rheims):
When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.
He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep.
Peter became the rock on which Christ built His Church, proof that no lie is too big for God’s mercy. See the St. Peter prayer.
Saints of truth
- St. Thomas More, the English lawyer and chancellor who refused to swear an oath he believed was false and was beheaded in 1535, “the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” See the St. Thomas More prayer.
- St. Augustine, who wrote two books against lying and taught that a Christian may never lie, even to save a life. See the St. Augustine prayer.
- St. John Nepomucene, the fourteenth-century priest of Prague who, according to tradition, was drowned for refusing to reveal a confession; he is the patron of confessors and of those who suffer from slander and false accusations.
What the Bible says about lying
The Eighth Commandment (Exodus 20:16, Douay-Rheims):
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
St. Paul (Ephesians 4:25, Douay-Rheims):
Wherefore putting away lying, speak ye the truth every man with his neighbour; for we are members one of another.
The Book of Proverbs (Proverbs 12:22, Douay-Rheims):
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal faithfully please him.
And the promise of Jesus (John 8:31–32, Douay-Rheims):
Then Jesus said to those Jews, who believed him: If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Prayers for honesty
Written for this page.
To stop lying
Lord Jesus, you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.
I have told lies to protect myself, to look good, or to avoid trouble.
Forgive me, and give me the courage to tell the truth, even when it costs me. Amen.
For a child who lies
St. Peter, pray for my child.
Help them to understand why the truth matters, to feel safe telling me the truth,
and help me to respond with patience and love. Amen.
For someone who has been lied to
Lord, I have been deceived and I am hurt.
Heal my trust, protect me from bitterness,
and help me, in your time, to forgive. St. John Nepomucene, pray for me. Amen.
For a person who lies about others
Lord, I pray for the one who spreads lies about me.
Change their heart, defend my good name,
and keep me from answering lies with lies. Amen.
If you have told serious lies, the sacrament of Confession is the place to bring them. See the Act of Contrition and the Ten Commandments.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a patron saint of liars?
No. No saint is the patron of a sin. St. Peter, who denied Jesus and was forgiven, is a good patron for anyone trying to stop lying.
Who is the patron saint of honesty and truth?
There is no single official patron, but St. Thomas More and St. Augustine are classic models of truthfulness.
What is “The Patron Saint of Liars”?
A 1992 novel by Ann Patchett about a young woman who leaves her marriage and goes to a home for unwed mothers in Kentucky.
More patron saints
- Unusual patron saints
- St. Peter prayer
- St. Thomas More prayer
- Act of Contrition
- Ten Commandments
- Patron saints
Texts and sources
- John 21:15–17, Exodus 20:16, Ephesians 4:25, Proverbs 12:22 and John 8:31–32 (Douay-Rheims).