Pope Leo XIV asks journalists to use communication as a tool for peace

Pope Leo XIV arrives for an assemblage with thousands of journalists and media workers astatine Paul VI Hall successful Vatican City. The assemblage with journalists has go a contented among recently elected popes. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images hide caption

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Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

"The mode we pass is of cardinal importance: we indispensable accidental 'no' to the warfare of words and images, we indispensable cull the paradigm of war," according to Pope Leo XIV successful an code to journalists this morning. He implored them to usage connection arsenic a instrumentality for peace.

Referencing Pope Francis' connection from the World Day of Social Communications successful January, Leo said, "Let america disarm connection of each prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and adjacent hatred; fto america escaped it from aggression. We bash not request loud, forceful communication, but alternatively connection that is susceptible of listening and of gathering the voices of the anemic who person nary voice."

Leo besides reiterated the Church's solidarity with imprisoned journalists and called for their release.

"The Church recognizes these witnesses — I americium reasoning of those who study connected warfare adjacent astatine the outgo of their lives — the courageousness of those who support dignity, justness and the close of radical to beryllium informed, due to the fact that lone informed individuals tin marque escaped choices."

The remarks travel conscionable 1 time aft the pope called for a ceasefire and entree to humanitarian assistance successful Gaza and an extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine.

Leo besides spoke astir the challenges the Church and the media look successful a changing world, including artificial intelligence. He said that "responsibility and discernment" are required to guarantee that exertion tin beryllium utilized for the bully of all, and helium emphasized the value of this infinitesimal successful history.

"We are surviving successful times that are some hard to navigate and to recount. They contiguous a situation for each of us, but it is 1 that we should not tally distant from. On the contrary, they request that each 1 of us, successful our antithetic roles and services, ne'er springiness successful to mediocrity."

Just earlier blessing those gathered astatine Paul VI Audience Hall, and shaking the hands of seasoned Vatican journalists, Leo concluded by saying, "I inquire you to take consciously and courageously the way of connection successful favour of peace."