Pope Leo XIV has expressly called for "the release of journalists imprisoned for telling the truth" and urged the media to opt for "unarmed and disarming information" in the face of the wars shaking the world.
Leo XIV held a special audience at the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican attended by over a thousand representatives of the media who covered the funerals of Francis and his ascent as the 267th Pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church.
The most applauded moment of his speech was when he recalled the imprisonment of journalists in various parts of the world and advocated for their release: "Only an informed people can make fair and appropriate decisions".
Leo XIV emphasized the importance of communication and urged the media to avoid language that promotes "prejudice, fanaticism, and hatred". In line with his first peace message from the balcony of St. Peter's, the Pope called for the media's contribution as a counterpoint to conflicts with "unarmed and disarming information." Leo XIV also referred to the "immense potential" of Artificial Intelligence and called for "its responsible and understanding use". Amid chants of "You can feel it, the Pope is here," the Pontiff took a final walk and even deigned to sign a baseball for an American admirer.
"Peace begins with you," the Pope reminded the journalists. "Disarming words is disarming the world," he added.
"The Church recognizes the testimony of those who report on war even at the cost of their own lives, the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the people's right to be informed," added Leo XIV. "The suffering of these imprisoned journalists is a call to the conscience of nations and the international community, and to all of us to preserve the precious good of freedom of expression and the press."
At the end of the audience with the media, the Pope posed with a broad smile with a Peruvian journalist, Paola Ugaz, who placed an alpaca shawl from Cuzco around his neck. Paola, sent to Rome by the platform LaMula, co-author with Pedro Salinas of Half Monks, Half Soldiers (about the abuses perpetrated by the Sodalitium of Christian Life), thanked the Pope "because I could have been one of those imprisoned journalists he speaks of".
"For us Peruvians, he will always be Rober, as we called him there," Paola recalls. "I came to Rome to greet my friend, and suddenly he becomes Pope, imagine the surprise."
"He is a very empathetic person and committed to the work of journalists," details the Peruvian journalist. "He puts his hand on your shoulder, and from that moment, you know he is listening to you. He is very calm, which sets him apart from Francis, but I think it will be very positive for the Church."
"I would say that in Rober, the three worlds come together," adds Paola. "On one hand, he is American, on the other hand, he has knowledge of Latin America and the tremendous inequality we have there, and on the other hand, he knows the Roman Curia like no one else because he has been here for two years dealing with all the bishops."