"Today marks World Press Freedom Day, promoted by UNESCO. Unfortunately, this right is often violated — sometimes blatantly, sometimes in more subtle ways. Let us remember the many journalists and reporters who have fallen victim to wars and violence."
This was a message from Pope Leo on this May 3, after he prayed the midday Regina Caeli in St. Peter's Square.
The theme of freedom of the press is one that Pope Leo has already mentioned various times in his near-year as pope.
One of his first meetings as pope was with the hundreds of journalists who were in Rome to cover Francis' funeral and the conclave. On that occasion, he said, "Let me, therefore, reiterate today the Church’s solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for seeking to report the truth, and with these words I also ask for the release of these imprisoned journalists. The Church recognizes in these witnesses – I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives – the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices."
The next month, on June 20, 2025, Pope Leo XIV called for the defense of “free and ethical journalism,” which is not “only an act of justice, it is a duty for all those who aspire to a solid and participatory democracy.”
The Pope’s message was read during the presentation of a play in Peru recounting the story of a Peruvian journalist, Paola Ugaz, who fought against abuses committed by a Catholic community. The group, Sodalitium Vitae Christianae, was dissolved by Pope Francis. Journalists have said that they found in Bishop Prevost (the future Pope Leo) an ally in their investigation of the group.
Then, early this year, Leo spoke of his wish for success in building free and open communication, driven by the "search for truth and without prejudice,” in a letter of congratulations published in La Repubblica on January 15, 2026, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Italian daily newspaper's founding.
