Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to the media, yesterday called on journalists to focus on reporting the truth instead of participating in partisan debates, while also appealing for the release of journalists who have been imprisoned for doing their jobs.
“The way we communicate is essential: we must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war,” the Pope told thousands of journalists who had followed his election and the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The Pope, as reported by Reuters, also pointed to the plight of imprisoned journalists, of whom, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, there were 361 at the end of last year.
"The suffering of these imprisoned journalists is a challenge to the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to protect the precious gift of freedom of speech and the media," the pope stressed.
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is the first pope born in the United States. He was elected as the new head of the Catholic Church on May 8 and is a relatively unknown figure on the global stage, having spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru.
The Pope also warned journalists that they must use artificial intelligence responsibly in their work, urging them to "ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it benefits all of humanity."
"Let us disarm communication from all prejudice and bitterness, fanaticism and even hatred, let us free it from aggression," the pope said.
It was Leo's first encounter with a large group of people in the Vatican. As he entered the large audience hall, he was greeted with applause from journalists.
The Pope spoke mostly in Italian, but at the beginning he made a joke in English about the applause.
"Thank you for this wonderful welcome," said Lav. "They say that when they applaud at the beginning, it's not that important. If you're awake at the end and want to applaud, thank you very much."
After the speech, the pope came down from the stage to greet journalists in the audience and exchanged humorous remarks with some of them, Reuters reported.
The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to protect the precious gift of freedom of speech and the press.
The Pope indicated that he would carry out Francis' plan to travel to Turkey this year to celebrate the 1.700th anniversary of the early Council of the Church, held in Nicaea, today's Iznik.
However, when an American journalist asked the pope, originally from Chicago, whether he would visit his hometown soon, the Lion replied: "I don't think so."
Reuters reported that Leo showed that he was not yet accustomed to the rhythm and protocols of papal life. At one point, he asked an aide whether he or an usher should hand out rosaries to people after greeting them.
People who meet the pope usually receive a small set of rosaries blessed by the pontiff, which are usually distributed by his assistant.
A reporter also asked the pope, who plays tennis, if he would like to play against Andre Agassi. Lav replied with a smile: "Just don't bring Siner," alluding to Italian champion Jannik Siner.
Conversation with Zelensky
Leo XIV spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday about proposals for a ceasefire, Zelensky said. This is the first known conversation between the newly elected pontiff and a foreign leader.
Zelensky said in a post on the Telegram app that his first conversation with the new pope was "very warm and really meaningful" and that he invited the pope to visit Ukraine.
He added that they discussed Ukrainian children forcibly taken from Ukraine by Russia after its total invasion, as well as efforts to negotiate a negotiated end to the war.
Ukraine had a complex relationship with Pope Francis, who died on April 21.
The late pope condemned Russia's war against Ukraine as an unjustified act of aggression and called Ukraine a “martyr nation.” Francis appealed for peace in almost every public appearance, at least twice a week.
However, he disappointed many Ukrainians by not explicitly condemning Russian leader Vladimir Putin as an aggressor, as well as by saying that Ukraine should strive for peace to end the death and destruction.
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