Pope Leo XIV on Sunday marked May 3, World Press Freedom Day, in St Peter’s Square, recalling journalists killed by war and warning that press freedom is increasingly violated worldwide. Speaking after the Regina Coeli, he linked the issue to Christian witness, stating that “fraternity and peace are our calling” in a world marked by conflict and restriction.
Addressing pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said that the right to report freely is “often violated – sometimes blatantly, sometimes in more subtle ways”, and urged remembrance of “the many journalists and reporters who have fallen victim to wars and violence”. His remarks coincide with mounting international concern over media conditions. According to the Reporters Without Borders 2026 index, global press freedom has reached its lowest level in more than two decades, with more than half of countries classified as facing “difficult” or “very serious” conditions.
