Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his first meeting with Vatican-accredited journalists Monday morning.
More than 1,000 members of the media were assembled to hear his remarks, according to the New York Times. Some of them even took their children.
The gathering took place in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, Vatican Media reported. There, the pontiff “thanked reporters in Italian for their tireless work over these intense few weeks.”
“Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred,” the pope told the crowd of reporters. “Let us disarm words, and we will help disarm the world.”
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The 69-year-old called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the “precious gift of free speech and the press,” the Associated Press reported.
He expressed solidarity with journalists around the world who have been jailed for trying to seek and report the truth. Drawing applause from the crowd, he asked for their release.
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“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,” he said.
The pontiff also told the journalists they must act responsibly in using artificial intelligence in their work, asking them to “ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it can benefit all of humanity.”
The pope spoke mainly in Italian, but opened with a joke in English about the standing ovation he received.
“Thank you for this wonderful reception,” he said. “They say that when they clap at the beginning, it doesn’t matter much. If you’re still awake at the end and still want to applaud, thank you very much.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
