Pope Leo has issued a call to “disarm words” in a veiled swipe at US president Donald Trump during his first address to international media.
Taking to the stage in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, the new Chicago-born pontiff was met with lengthy applause from thousands of journalists.
“When they clap at the beginning, it doesn’t matter much,” he joked. “If you’re still awake at the end and still want to applaud, thank you very much.”
The Pope then used his opening remarks to make a call for the world to “disarm words” and bring an end to “loud, forceful communication”.
“Let us disarm words and we will help the world disarm,” he told the crowd. “We do not need loud forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice.”
The remarks can be seen as disapproval of Trump’s aggressive style of political communication and diplomacy, given the pontiff’s previous criticism of the US president as a cardinal.
Leo also spoke out in solidarity with journalists currently in detention, saying their “suffering” challenges the “conscience of nations”.
Issuing a call for unity, he added: “The way we communicate is of fundamental importance. We must say no to the war of words and images.”
Key Points
- Pope Leo: 'Disarm words and we will help the world disarm'
- Watch live: Pope Leo holds first Vatican press conference after pleading ‘no more war’
- Pope issues call for unity and criticises attacks on media freedom
- Trump suggests Pope Leo was elected because of him
- In pictures: Pope Leo visits papal apartment after it is unsealed
Church must face challenges of the times, says Pope Leo
11:07 , Alex CroftDuring his address to journalists and media representatives in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Monday morning, Pope Leo said the church must “face the challenges posed by the times”.
“In the same way, communication and journalism do not exist outside of time and history,” he added. “Saint Augustine reminds of this when he said, ‘Let us live well, and the times will be good. We are the times’.”
The pope said the modern world can leave us lost in a “confusion of loveless languages that are often ideological or partisan.”
He continued: “Communication is not only the transmission of information, but it is also the creation of a culture, of human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and discussion.”
In pictures: Pope greets media representatives
10:51 , Alex Croft
Pope greeting media representatives
10:36 , Alex CroftThe Pope is now greeting journalists and media representatives one-by-one.
Each person he greets is met with a smile and a handshake, along with a few warm words.
One woman presents the Pope with a striped scarf, which he drapes over his neck before taking a photo with her to cheers from the crowd.
Dozens more hands reach out to him as he walks by, attempting to present him with gifts and receive blessings.
A crying baby is blessed on the forehead by the new American pontiff.
Pope Leo: 'Disarm words and we will help the world disarm'
10:17 , Alex CroftPope Leo’s demand for unity has continued, calling on the world to “disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred”.
He continued: “Let us free it from aggression. We do not need loud forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice.
“Let us disarm words. Let us disarm words and we will help the world disarm. Disarming communication will allow us to share events of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity.”
Leo told the journalists they are at the “forefront of reporting on conflicts and aspirations of peace, situations of injustice and poverty, and the silent work of so many people striving to create a better world”.
Pope issues call for unity and criticises attacks on media freedom
10:08 , Alex CroftPope Leo has used his opening remarks to issue a call for unity.
“The way we communicate is of fundamental importance,” he said. “We must say no to the war of words and images. We must reject the paradigm of war.”
The pontiff also reiterated the church’s “solidarity with journalists who are in prison for speaking the truth... while also asking for their release”.
“The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations,” he added.
Pope Leo takes his seat, jokes with the crowd
10:03 , Alex CroftPope Leo XIV has now walked into the hall to a rapturous round of applause and cheers from the large group of media.
He greets the crowd. “Thank you for this wonderful reception,” he begins.
“When they clap at the beginning, it doesn’t matter much,” he jokes. “If you’re still awake at the end and still want to applaud, thank you very much.”
Watch live: Pope Leo holds first Vatican press conference after pleading ‘no more war’
10:00 , Alex CroftPress conference due to start
09:59 , Alex CroftThousands of journalists are in position in the Vatican’s grand Paul VI Hall, waiting in silence for Pope Leo XIV to arrive.
The press conference is due to start any moment now - we’ll bring you all the key lines here.
Priest describes 'gentle' and 'practical' Pope Leo who enjoyed cooking
09:57 , Alex CroftA priest and former friend of Pope Leo - when he was still known as Robert Prevost - has described the new pontiff as “gentle” and “practical” - and recalled him cooking meals and helping with the washing up while a bishop in Peru.
Leo XIV once served as a bishop in Chiclayo, a northern Peruvian diocese where he became friends with Pedro Vásquez, an 82-year-old priest.
“There was a connection between us from the very beginning,” says the retired priest, who sees himself as an “older brother”.
“He's gentle, but when it comes to being serious, he really comes out."
Leo is also "studious, intellectual, but also very practical,” Mr Vásquez said. "When he finished eating, he would take his plate to the kitchen; when we were locked down during the pandemic, he would cook," the priest added.
Analysis | Woke Pope? Trump reckons with a ‘liberal’ American leader he can’t trash-talk
09:43 , Alex CroftWere Donald Trump’s ears burning as the cardinals gathered in conclave at the Sistine Chapel? Is it inconceivable that the president’s name was uttered in hushed tones in some corner of the historic sanctuary, under Michelangelo's Adam, to sway a vote in favor of an American?
It’s of course a liberal fantasy to think that Pope Leo XIV was elected head of the ancient Catholic Church to handle the fleeting earthly man in the White House, but President Trump will nonetheless have to reckon with a fellow American, a leader on the world stage, who has spoken out against his policies and will likely continue to do so from perhaps the only bully pulpit to rival the Resolute Desk.
Trump has been nothing but enthusiastic about the new Pope — “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country,” he said in reaction to the news — but that was before his allies unearthed Pope Leo’s criticisms of the president.
Before he was the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo XIV was a moderate user of Twitter, which he used to deliver and share criticism of Trump’s America First agenda.
Woke Pope? Trump reckons with a ‘liberal’ American leader he can’t trash-talk
Pope Leo 'won't stay quiet' on issues such as immigration, says brother
09:28 , Alex CroftPope Leo XIV won’t hesitate to speak out against US immigration policy and other social issues, his brother has said, even if it sees him clashing with the MAGA right.
The Chicago-born pontiff, who was previously a moderate social media user, has shared online criticisms of the Trump administration’s America First agenda, and in April reposted an op-ed critical of its mass deportations.
As members of the American right blast Leo as “woke” and an “open borders globalist”, his brother, John Prevost, has revealed he will continue to be outspoken.
Describing him as middle-of-the-road, Mr Prevost told the New York Times: “I don’t think we’ll see extremes either way.
“I don’t think he’ll stay quiet for too long if he has something to say.
“I know he’s not happy with what’s going on with immigration. I know that for a fact. How far he’ll go with it is only one’s guess, but he won’t just sit back. I don’t think he’ll be the silent one.”
Pope Leo was a friend of Pope Francis and is believed to be ideologically close to the former pontiff.
In pictures: Pope Leo visits papal apartment after it is unsealed
09:14 , Alex Croft
Pope Leo XIV speaks out against AI: ‘A challenge of human dignity, justice and labour’
09:03 , Alex CroftPope Leo XIV has identified artificial intelligence as one of the most critical matters facing humanity today.
In his first meeting with all the cardinals since his election as pontiff, Leo said AI poses challenges to defending “human dignity, justice and labour”.
He referred to his namesake Pope Leo XIII (1878 to 1903), remembered for laying the foundation for modern Catholic social thought.
Pope Leo XIII wrote a famous open letter to all Catholics in 1891, called “Rerum Novarum” (“Of Revolutionary Change”), which reflected on the destruction wrought by the Industrial Revolution on the lives of workers.
Barney Davis with the full report:
Pope Leo XIV speaks against AI: ‘A challenge of human dignity, justice and labour’
Pope Leo XIV addresses cardinals in English: ‘You have called me to carry the cross and to be blessed’
08:48 , Alex CroftTrump suggests Pope Leo was elected because of him
08:41 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has hinted that his position as US president had a role to play in Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV’s election as the new pontiff.
“So funny to watch old timer Martha Raditz on ABC Fake News (the Slopadopolus show!) this morning, blurt out that, effectively, Pope Leo’s selection had nothing to do with Donald Trump,” the US president wrote on Truth Social.
“It came out of nowhere, but it was on her Trump Deranged Mind,” he added.
“Remember, I did WIN the Catholic Vote, by a lot! Bob Iger should do something about the losers and haters he’s got on his low rated shows. It’s time for change. MAGA!!!”
Pope issues calls for world peace in first Sunday address
08:36 , Alex CroftToday’s conference held by Pope Leo comes after he addressed large crowds in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City on Sunday.
He used the speech to issue a call for peace in an era of war and welcome the fragile ceasefire agreement signed by India and Pakistan on Saturday.
“No more war,” the pope said, delivering his speech in Italian, and calling for an “authentic and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages.
Wearing a simple white papal cassock and his silver pectoral cross, he repeated a frequent call of the late Pope Francis and noted the recent 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Today’s world was living through “the dramatic scenario of a Third World War being fought piecemeal”, the Pope added, again repeating a phrase coined by his predecessor.
The new pope said he carried in his heart the “suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine”, and he appealed for negotiations to reach an “authentic, just and lasting peace”.
Leo also said he was “profoundly saddened” by the war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and the release of the remaining hostages held by the Hamas militant group in the besieged strip.
Pope Leo XIV to hold press conference
08:31 , Alex CroftPope Leo XIV is set to hold a press conference with thousands of journalists on Monday morning.
The conference with the Chicago-born pontiff will begin at 11am local time (10am BST), will be held in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.
We’ll bring you all the latest updates here.
