Vatican City. Pope Leo XIV on Monday called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the "precious gift of free speech and the press" during an audience with some of the 6,000 journalists who have gathered in Rome to cover his election as the first American pope.

Leo received a standing ovation as he entered the Vatican auditorium for his first meeting with members of the general public.

The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary, elected last week in a 24-hour conclave, urged journalists to use their words to promote peace, reject war, and amplify the voices of the marginalized.

He expressed solidarity with reporters around the world jailed for seeking and reporting the truth. Drawing applause, he called for their release.

“The Church recognizes 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,” he said.

“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.”

Leo opened the meeting with a few words in English, joking that if the crowd was still awake and applauding at the end, that would mean more than the ovation that welcomed him.

Switching to Italian, he thanked reporters for their work covering the papal transition and urged them to be messengers 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 remarks, in which he reflected on the power of words to do good, Leo greeted journalists in the front rows and then walked down the central aisle, shaking hands with the crowd. He signed a few autographs and posed for selfies.

Reporters later shared snippets of their conversations with the pope, including hints that the Vatican is moving forward with plans for Leo to visit Turkey to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — the first ecumenical council in Christian history.

Other moments from the event included journalists offering to play doubles tennis or organize a charity match. Leo, an avid player, appeared enthusiastic, joking, “But we can’t invite Sinner,” a reference to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who is currently competing in the Italian Open just across town.

In a similar event in 2013, Pope Francis used his first audience with journalists to explain his choice of papal name, after St. Francis of Assisi, and his vision for “a church that is poor and for the poor.”

Over his 12-year pontificate, Francis often underscored the value of journalism and, as recently as January, also appealed for the release of jailed reporters during a Holy Year event with media members.

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