In his first official address to journalists since assuming the papacy, Pope Leo XIV made a powerful plea for the release of imprisoned reporters around the world, saying their plight “challenges the conscience of nations and the international community.”
Speaking in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, the new pontiff expressed solidarity with media professionals detained “for seeking and reporting the truth,” and called for greater global commitment to defend press freedom. “We must protect the precious gift of free speech,” he told the crowd of media representatives, clerics, and Vatican officials.
The pope’s appeal comes amid growing concerns about press freedom worldwide. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 361 journalists were behind bars globally in 2024.
Pope Leo XIV, elected just days earlier, praised the vital role journalists play in spotlighting injustice and poverty, but warned against the media being drawn into “partisan divisions” or providing a platform for “fanaticism and hatred.”
“We do not need loud, forceful communication,” the pope said. “We need communication that listens, that lifts up the voices of the weak and voiceless.”
He also cautioned against the misuse of artificial intelligence in media, urging journalists to deploy emerging technologies “with responsibility and discernment” and to ensure AI serves the “benefit of all of humanity.”
Opening his address with humour, Pope Leo XIV quipped in English, “They say when they clap at the beginning, it doesn’t mean much. If you’re still awake at the end and still want to applaud—thank you very much.”
