Pope Leo XIV made an impassioned plea for peace and expressed solidarity with imprisoned journalists in his first news briefing since becoming pontiff on Monday, calling for “the precious gift of free speech and of the press” to be protected.
Leo, the first pope born in the United States, who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Peru, entered the Vatican auditorium to a standing ovation and thundering applause as he gave his first address in front of some 6,000 journalists. The 69-year-old Augustinian thanked the crowed in English before reading out his statement in Italian.
“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,” Leo said. He also urged journalists to avoid “ideological or partisan” language.
“We do not need loud, forceful communication,” he said, “But rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice.”
Artificial intelligence, which he earlier said played a role in selection of his papal name, has to be used with “responsibility and discernment,” he said.
Leo, who was elected in a 24-hour conclave last week, ended his statement calling for journalists to choose the “path of communication in favor of peace” and shook hands with some of the attendees. He did not take questions, as is normally the case in papal press conferences. Leo’s predecessor, Francis, also declined to take questions in his first press conference in 2013.
Leo’s remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with the newly elected pope for the first time on Monday and discussed a 30-day ceasefire proposed by allies that Moscow is yet to accept, and abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.
The conversation was “very warm and truly substantive,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that he had invited Leo to Ukraine.
Leo’s words echoed his first Sunday blessing as pontiff before an estimated 100,000 people when he called for a lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza.
“Never again war!” Leo said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Watching him deliver the Sunday prayers from a nearby rooftop was his brother John, who arrived from Chicago on Saturday. “Seems like he’s been doing this for a long time because he’s not nervous,” he told NBC News’ Lester Holt.
“It does seem like he was made for this role,” he said.