Pope Leo XIV used his first audience in the press on Monday to appeal to journalists and help cool the warm language of today’s media landscape.
Reflecting some ideas from his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo sought the use of moderate language in presenting facts to the world.
“Let’s disarm communication with all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred. Let’s free ourselves from invasion,” Leo told more than 1,000 journalists, including the Vatican press squadron who gathered in the Vatican auditorium on Monday. “We don’t need loud and powerful communication, we need communication that we can hear,” he added, delivering the address in Italian.
In words that are likely to score points with the audience, he also spoke about the need for people to be notified to make healthy decisions and “a valuable gift of freedom of speech and the press.”
The newly elected Pope took the stage with enthusiastic applause from members of the news media, some of whom continued to report on his Pope, and others flew to spend days and weeks reporting on Francis’ death and funeral, and even electing Leo. Leo’s speech, a tradition of the Pope, was frequently interrupted by applause.
The last five Popes served as media audiences during the Pope’s first few days. The event reflects the Vatican’s perception of the value of public communication and its desire to have a good relationship with news media reporting on it.
Leo, the first American pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion followers, pledged to coincide with “normal people” the first few days of his Pope, denounced aggression and conflict. Leo recalls Francis, as Vatican observers saw clues about how he leads. He did that again on Monday.
In his remarks that lasted about ten minutes, Leo called for the release of journalists who were jailed for their work. At least 550 journalists were detained worldwide in December 2024, according to a reporter with no borders, a nonpartisan organization that works to protect journalists.
Leo said the church saw imprisoned journalists as witnesses. “I think of people reporting war at the expense of their lives, because the courage of those who defend their dignity, justice and the right to be notified is only available to the individual who is notified to make a free choice,” he said.
“The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the consciences of the nation and the international community, calling on us all to protect the precious gifts of freedom of speech and the press,” he said.
He also mentioned the challenges of social media and artificial intelligence. This is an issue he has already highlighted.
He started with an improvised banter in English. There, I was grateful for the applause from the journalist, but hoped he wouldn’t fall asleep while he was speaking. After he finished speaking, he descended the marble stairs from the stage, shaking hands with officials and journalists, exchanging several words and signing the sign.
The Pope, born in Chicago, signed a baseball someone handed him over. The women on the line also asked Leo for a selfie. This is the situation most of his predecessors faced in the first media. He politely refused, waved and proceeded.
