There’s only a handful of situations where journalists, usually guided by strict rules of the trade, act like everyone else. Meeting the new pope for the first time at the Vatican City’s modernist Paul VI Audience Hall became one of those events.
Prior to Pope Leo XIV’s entrance on Monday morning, the crowd representing the world press — filling out about half of the 6,000-seat aula — was restless in anticipation, dropping all pretence there was in the audience for any other presser.
Some were busy tying flags of their nations to the safety railings — a couple of Peru ones, where the pontiff lived and ministered for decades, notably peppered the hall — while others impatiently lifted their phones to record the scene, just to give up moments later as nothing was happening, bar a few priests casually strolling across the immense podium.
Several people brought babies, one of whom cried impatiently, picking up on the atmosphere.
Then the pontiff appeared, stage right, flanked by members of the Swiss Guard in full regalia, and the crowd rose to its feet and erupted in a long applause.
As he sat down, motioning to the audience to do the same, one section started applauding even more fervently. Everyone joined in once more.
Someone shouted “Viva papa,” triggering loud replies of “Viva”.
It was an entrance worthy of God’s representative on Earth.
“Good morning, and thank you for this wonderful reception,” Pope Leo XIV began, seemingly surprised by the long, thunderous applause.
“They say when they clap at the beginning, it doesn’t matter much.”
“If you’re still awake at the end and you still want to applaud, thank you very much,” he quipped in English, before switching to fluent Italian.
‘A challenge we shouldn’t run away from’
It didn’t take the pontiff long to show he was not there to mince words, however. While he was cordial, the first impression was that he wanted to show he was a staunch champion of “dignity, justice, and the right to be informed”.
Free speech and free press are a “precious gift,” he said, especially for us “living in times that are both difficult to navigate and to recount”. And “we are the times,” Pope Leo XIV added, quoting St Augustine, from whose order he hails.
Interrupted by applause, Pope Leo XIV pressed on with what felt like a proper pep talk. “Never give in to mediocrity,” he said. Journalistic work is “a challenge we shouldn’t run away from,” he urged. Be responsible with AI, he insisted.
He spoke up for imprisoned journalists, much to the approval of those present.
But mostly it was his insistence on truth instead of partisan divisions that rang out the loudest in today’s world, judging by another thunderous applause.
“The way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war,” the pontiff emphasised.
The pontiff finished his speech with a short prayer, blessing the journalists instead of opening the floor to questions. The faithful among the press made the sign of the cross, an “amen” echoing as the pontiff proceeded to greet those present in the front rows.
Pope Leo XIV then walked down the central aisle to shake hands with others, followed by dozens, if not hundreds, of cameras, and then he was gone — an exit as impactful as his entrance just half an hour earlier.
Was it a sermon? Maybe in part. Others would more likely liken it to the appearance of a rock star. But the pope’s debut address to the press mostly showcased why the former Cardinal Robert Prevost was so quickly elected by his peers — and by the Holy Spirit, or acclamation, as the rite says.
His words made the journalists in the room feel like their job was more important than his, as the leader of the Church with 1.3 billion Catholic faithful, will ever be.
