Pope Leo XIV met with more than 6,000 journalists and media workers on Monday, just days after his election, continuing a tradition upheld by his predecessors, Pope Francis in 2013 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
As he entered the Vatican auditorium, he received a warm welcome and a standing ovation. “Thank you for this wonderful reception,” he told the crowd.
In a 15-minute address, Pope Leo XIV mainly reflected on the role of communication as a tool to achieve peace. “The way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war,” he said.
“Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred. Let us free it from aggression,” he continued.
The new pontiff emphasised the need to “strive for a different kind of communication—one that does not seek consensus at all costs, avoids aggressive words, and rejects the culture of competition.”
“Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others, and speak about others,” he said, repeating the idea that communication plays a crucial role in fostering peace.
Pope Leo XIV also highlighted the value of press freedom and expressed solidarity with journalists currently imprisoned worldwide.
“The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press,” he said.
At the end of the address, Pope Leo XIV stepped off the stage to greet a few journalists, exchanging smiles and brief words.
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