Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace at News Briefing

    Pope Leo XIV Calls for   

    Peace at News Briefing

St. Croix Times Staff

     Pope Leo XIV, the first American born Pope, made an impassioned plea for world peace and expressed solidarity with imprisoned journalists as he called on journalists to use words of peace and to avoid ideological and partisan language.

     As Pope Leo entered the Vatican Auditorium to a standing ovation and thundering applause by some 6,000 journalists from around the world, in his first news briefing since becoming pontiff, the 69-year old Augustinian thanked the crowd in English before reading out his statement in Italian. He called for the precious gift of free speech and freedom of the press to be protected.

     “Let me therefore reiterate today the Church’s solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for seeking and reporting the truth while also asking for their release…

     “We do not need loud, forceful communications, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering voices of the weak who have no voice.” 

     He ended his statement on the press by calling for journalists to choose the “path of communication in favor of peace.” 

     The Pontiff went on to speak of artificial intelligence, which he earlier said played a role in selection of his papal name, stating it has to be used with “responsibility and discernment.”

     Pope Leo’s remarks came as Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke to the Pope for the first time and discussed a 30-day ceasefire proposed by allies that Moscow had yet to accept. The conversation was “very warm and truly substantive,” said Mr. Zelenskyy.

     To a great extent, Pope Leo’s words at the press conference, in which he took no questions, echoed his first Sunday prayer and blessing as Pontiff before an estimated 100,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, when he called for a lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza.