Pope Leo XIV told reporters they were welcome to cover him, as he responded to the Trump administration's attempt to bar US media from the White House. The American pope spoke to reporters Friday on his way to France for a four-day visit.
Pope's message to journalists
Asked by a CNN reporter about the Trump administration's attempt to bar reporters from three US outlets, the head of the Catholic Church said the media was welcome on his plane. “I am very happy that here, you are all welcome,” Pope Leo said. Good media coverage is important, he said, and equally important “that we have it all the way around, for everyone”.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico were back at the White House on Thursday after a judge handed them a reprieve from President Donald Trump's ban, but the extraordinary showdown between him and the outlets appears not to be yet over.
Xi visit overshadowed
On a high-profile day when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was visiting Washington and attending a state dinner, no major American network was airing live coverage, and both CNN and MS NOW claimed their journalists were denied access to Xi's state dinner arrival.
Leo has long affirmed the need for free and independent press, a point he made in one of his first audiences as pope. Speaking to journalists who covered the 2025 conclave that elected him, the American pope called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the “precious gift of free speech and the press.”
Vatican press restrictions
That said, since the COVID-19 pandemic, independent media have been prevented from covering photo opportunities inside the pope's private studio when visiting heads of state visit. Additionally, many of the pope's private audiences with other groups and individuals are closed to non-Vatican press.
Apology for missed press conference
Leo's airborne comments about Trump followed his April back-and-forth over the US president's criticism of his opposition to the Iran war. Also on the flight Friday, Leo also apologised for missing an opportunity to speak with the press the last time he travelled internationally, when his Iberia charter broke down in Spain's Canary Islands and he returned home solo on the king's private jet, skipping his traditional airborne press conference.
More than 70 reporters and the Vatican delegation waited for several hours at the airport for a replacement plane to arrive. Leo addressed the media's disappointment when he came to the back of the plane to greet reporters.
