In a message marking the 50th anniversary of the Italian daily La Repubblica, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Church’s long-standing call for a press rooted in truth, dialogue, and the common good, emphasizing journalism’s responsibility to foster peace rather than division.
According to Vatican News, the Holy Father sent his message to Mario Orfeo, editor of La Repubblica, praising the newspaper’s five decades of reporting on Italy, global affairs, and the life of the Church. Pope Leo XIV highlighted the paper’s sustained relationship with its readers and its role in chronicling history with what he described as “freedom of inquiry.”
The Pope noted that La Repubblica’s presence in Rome offers a unique perspective, writing that it is “rooted in many cities, but which has in Rome, the Diocese of the Pope, its main headquarters and a privileged vantage point from which to observe events in Italy and around the world,” according to Vatican News. He added that the newspaper has recounted the history of the Church “with freedom” throughout its fifty years of publication.
Addressing the broader mission of journalism, Pope Leo XIV underscored that freedom of the press must always be accompanied by moral responsibility. “Even amid diversity of opinions, points of view, and cultures,” he wrote, the press must “always act with transparency and integrity,” according to the Vatican News report.
The Holy Father also stressed the importance of dialogue in a fractured world, stating that the press should offer “that opportunity for dialogue which, when it is not hostile, contributes to the common good and to the unity of the human family.” He concluded that such dialogue is essential because “dialogue overcomes conflict and builds peace,” as cited by Vatican News.
Concluding his message, Pope Leo XIV expressed his hope that the newspaper would continue to promote communication that is “free and dialogical, animated by the search for truth and without prejudice,” extending his congratulations for the milestone anniversary.
To commemorate its fiftieth year, La Repubblica has organized a multimedia exhibition in Rome titled La Repubblica: A History of the Future. According to Vatican News, the exhibit, hosted at the Mattatoio and running through March 15, features photographs and historic newspaper pages highlighting key moments from the publication’s past.
The Pope’s message serves as a timely reminder to Catholic readers that freedom of expression, when guided by truth and charity, remains a vital instrument for unity, understanding, and peace in the modern world.
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