Following the recitation of Sunday’s Regina Caeli, Pope Leo XIV recalled that today May 3rd marks World Press Freedom Day, the annual day promoted by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The Pope remarked that unfortunately, freedom of the press is often violated, sometimes blatantly and other times in subtle ways. He said: “Let us remember the many journalists and reporters who have fallen victim to wars and violence.”
UNESCO notes that fostering access to reliable information, accountability, dialogue, and trust, press freedom and independent journalism can offer key contributions to peace, economic recovery, sustainable development, and human rights.
At the same time, the UN organization has warned in its World Trends Report 2022–2025 that press freedom has experienced its steepest decline since 2012, a decline comparable to that seen during the most unstable periods of the 20th century – the two world wars and the Cold War. UNESCO further warns that information manipulation and the use of AI by malicious actors are endangering trust and national security.
At the same, these matters can be addressed, and UNESCO says that World Press Freedom Day 2026 offers a critical moment to reaffirm the importance of freedom of the press.
A World Press Freedom Day Conference will take place on Monday, May 4, in Lusaka, Zambia, around the theme “Shaping a Future of Peace” with several events also online. World Press Freedom Day offers a time to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of press freedom globally, defend media independence, and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
UNESCO is a specialized agency dedicated to strengthening international cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, and information.
Greetings to Italy’s Meter Association
Pope Leo also greeted the various groups present in Saint Peter’s Square for the Sunday blessing, including representatives of Italy’s “Meter” association, which for over thirty years has worked to defend minors from the scourge of abuse and to involve church and civil society in education on helping victims and engaging in preventive efforts. The Pope thanked them for this work.
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