Leo I Makes His First Public Appearance as Pope, Urging Journalists to Use Words for Peace

He spoke in an audience with some of the 6,000 journalists who descended on Rome to cover his election as the first American pontiff.

The new American pontiff, Leo, spoke in an audience with some of the 6,000 journalists who descended on Rome to cover his election as the first American pontiff on Monday, seen by one reporter as "a papal first."

The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary, elected in a 24-hour conclave last week, called for journalists to use words for peace, to reject war and to give voice to the voiceless.

"The church recognises in these witnesses - I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives - the courage of those who defend dignity, justice and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices," said Leo.

"The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press."

The pontiff opened the meeting with a few words in English, joking that if the crowd was still awake and applauding at the end, it mattered more than the ovation that greeted him.

"Good morning, and good evening to those of you who are still awake," smiled Leo, as he greeted the journalists in the Vatican auditorium.

"If at the end you are still applauding, it will be a sign that you are still awake, which would be useful, because I saw that some of you were dozing off during my speech."

Turning to Italian, he thanked the journalists for their work covering the papal transition and urged them to use words of peace.

"Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others," he said.

"In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance: we must say 'no' to the war of words and images, we must reject the paradigm of war."

After his brief speech, in which he reflected on the power of words to do good, he greeted some of the journalists in the front rows and then shook hands with the crowd as he exited the audience hall down the central aisle. He signed a few autographs and posed for a few selfies.

Journalists later shared some of the few words they exchanged with him, including hints that Vatican plans are going ahead for Leo to travel to Turkey to commemorate an important event in Catholic-Orthodox relations: the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, Christianity's first ecumenical council.

"Father, I hope you'll be able to come to Turkey in November for the anniversary of the Council of Nicea," said one reporter, referring to an event that Turkish authorities have invited the Vatican to attend.

"Yes, I hope so too, and thank you for following this closely," replied Leo.

One journalist also offered to play doubles with the pontiff in tennis, or to organize a charity match. Leo, a regular tennis player, seemed game "but we can't invite Sinner," he joked, referring to the world number one Jannik Sinner, who is playing just up the Tiber at the Italian Open.

It was in the 2013 audience with journalists who covered the election of history's first Latin American pope that Pope Francis explained his choice of name, after St Francis of Assisi, and his desire for a "church which is poor and for the poor".

During his 12-year pontificate, Francis too spoke about the value of journalism and as recently as January, he appealed for the release of imprisoned journalists during a Holy Year event with the media.