Leo XIV defends freedom of the press: "Only informed people can make free decisions."

RomePope Leo XIV made a firm defense of freedom of expression and of the press and recognized the "courage" of journalists who work in adverse places or circumstances, "even at the cost of their lives." Before thousands of journalists at the first audience of his pontificate, the Pope expressed "the Church's solidarity with journalists imprisoned for seeking and reporting the truth" and called for their release. "Only informed people can make free decisions," the American pontiff affirmed, precisely at a time when the government of his home country is engaged in an open struggle against the media.

"The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, and calls upon us all to safeguard the cherished good of freedom of expression and of the press," he said. He also called on journalists to "communicate differently [...] that is not clothed in aggressive words, that does not embrace the model of competition." "The way we communicate is of great importance; we must say No In the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war," he said, making a plea for peace journalism. "We disarm words and help disarm the Earth," he added. As pontiff, he called for "an unarmed and disarming peace."

The Pope's first steps

Leo XIV celebrated Masses and met with the cardinals during the first days of his pontificate, but this week they will all return to their countries of work. The American pontiff has decided to confirm all the positions in the Roman Curia, although only provisionally. This means that he will take some time to reflect before deciding to renew them in their functions or relieve them. His decisions, once made, will provide many clues about the future of the pontificate.

In one of his first decisions as pope, Leo XIV ordered that the heads and members of the curial institutions, including those responsible for the various Vatican dicasteries (ministries) and other entities of the Holy See, provisionally retain their functions.mango aliter provideatur", that is, until further notice. This includes the secretaries and the president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, who will continue to work in their roles. "The Holy Father wishes to reserve a certain time for reflection, prayer and dialogue, before any definitive appointment or confirmation," the Vatican said in a statement. The Catholic Church's secretariat is a complex body, and learning to manage it will be one of the most immediate challenges facing Leo XIV. He will have to find a replacement and could promote his current number two, the Brazilian Ilson de Jesús Montanari, secretary of this body since 2013.

The transition period between two pontificates is always complex, but it is usual for the new pope not to order abrupt changes, at least in the first few months. The most important position will probably be that of the Secretariat of State, the body that manages, among other things, the Vatican's diplomacy. In 2013, Francis retained Benedict XVI's then deputy, the controversial Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, for seven months, despite having been implicated in the document leak scandal that precipitated the German pope's resignation. After his forced retirement, Francis replaced Bertone. with the then ambassador of the Holy See in Venezuela, Pietro Parolin.

The Italian cardinal has since led the small state's delicate international relations, with the support of a vast diplomatic network spanning five continents. The Vatican suggests it is unlikely Prevost will decide to remove him, at least in the coming months. Another cardinal who was rumored to be a potential papal candidate, the Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, would also remain in his position as prefect of the dicastery for evangelization, formerly known as Propaganda Fide.

The main development, according to Italian media, would be the appointment of American Cardinal Timothy Dolan to head the Secretariat for the Economy, which would mark a change of direction. in the management of the Vatican's ruined finances, which Francis entrusted in 2020 to the Spaniard Maximino Caballero, a secular economist, married and father of a family, who replaced the Spanish Jesuit Juan Antonio Guerrero, a friend of his since childhood.

It remains to be seen, however, whether Prevost will opt to keep Víctor Manuel Fernández as prefect of the dicastery for the doctrine of the faith, the body that deals with Church doctrine and handling reports of abuse. The Argentine bishop, who was a close friend of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is responsible for the controversial document that authorized the blessing of homosexual couples and opened a deep rift in the Church that has not yet healed. The change in this ministry It's a fundamental question of time. The name of the replacement for Francis's theologian will be one of the clues that will allow us to better decipher Pope Leo XIV.

During the general congregations that preceded the conclave, the cardinals reflected on the possible creation of an episcopal council that could help and collaborate with the new pope. If confirmed, it would be a similar initiative to the one already introduced by Francis, who established a council of nine cardinals, including Joan Josep Omella, to help him reform the Roman Curia and draft the new apostolic constitution that was published after nine years of work.

New appointments—if there are any—will take some time to arrive. But the Vatican machine doesn't stop, and the new pope's agenda is full of important appointments. The most important date is next Sunday, May 18, when he will preside over the Mass to inaugurate his pontificate, where he will receive the Fisherman's Ring and the pallium—symbols of papal power—and which is expected to be attended by heads of state and government from around the world.