International
Pope Leo XIV asks journalists: Let’s disarm the words and help disarm the Earth
Pope Leo XIV asked the media on Monday to choose “with conscience and courage the path of a communication of peace” and added: “Let’s disarm the words and help disarm the Earth,” in the audience he granted to journalists who have reported on the conclave in which he was elected.
In the first audience he celebrates, as Francis also did at the beginning of his pontificate, the first American pope gathered in the Paul VI classroom of the Vatican several thousand communicators to whom he pointed out that “we live in difficult times to navigate and count, which pose a challenge for all of us and from which we must not escape.”
And, he stressed, that “on the contrary, they ask each of us, in our different roles and services, to never surrender to mediocrity.”
Leo XIV said that “what is needed is not a noisy and muscular communication, but a communication capable of listening, of collecting the voice of the weak who have no voice.”
“Let’s disarm the words and help disarm the Earth. Unarmed and disarming communication allows us to share a different vision of the world and act in a manner consistent with our human dignity,” said the pope, who in his first speech after being elected on May 8 also called for “an unarmed and disarming peace.”
And he added: “You are on the front line narrating conflicts and hopes for peace, situations of injustice and poverty, and the silent work of many for a better world. For this I ask you to choose with conscience and courage the path of a communication of peace.”
“There can be no communication or journalism outside of time and history,” he said and recalled St. Augustine’s phrase, since he is Augustinian: “Let’s live well and times will be good. We are the times.”
To the journalists, who applauded at various moments of the speech, he explained that today, “one of the most important challenges is to promote a communication capable of helping us escape from the ‘Tower of Babel’ in which we sometimes find ourselves, from the confusion of loveless languages, often ideological or biased”
And therefore he stressed that “the words they use and the style they adopt, is important.” Communication, in fact, is not only the transmission of information, but the creation of a culture, human and digital environments that become spaces for dialogue and confrontation,” he added.
And above all, he stressed the technological evolution and artificial intelligence “that with its immense potential, which requires, however, responsibility and discernment to guide the tools to the good of all, so that they can produce benefits for humanity.”
Leo XIV was greeted at the entrance of the Paul VI classroom with a loud applause by the journalists and joked saying that he hoped that the applause would also come at the end of his speech.
Pope Leo XIV after his message greeted some of them in a relaxed way, confirmed some news such as the trip to Nicea and, in dubious moments of protocol, responded jokingly: “I’m still learning.”
When asked if he wanted to participate in a charity tennis tournament that the Pontifical Mission Societies is preparing, Leo XIV jokingly said that he could participate “as long as you don’t bring (Jannick) Sinner”, about the double meaning both because the Italian is number one in the world and because his English surname means ‘sinner’.
While to others who proposed a double, he confessed: “I’m not that good.”
Leo XIV showed his sense of humor when he wanted a photo taken with a journalist who had dressed in white without “intention of wanting to be a pope,” although she refused to take a ‘selfie’ with another communicator.
The pope also called for the release of imprisoned journalists and urged to “safeguard the precious good of freedom of expression and press.”
Before several thousand journalists gathered in the Paul VI classroom, in which it is the first audience of his pontificate, the first American pope wanted to “reiterate the solidarity of the Church with the imprisoned journalists for seeking and reporting the truth” and “asking for their release.”
“The Church recognizes in these testimonies – I think of those who tell the war even at the cost of their own lives – the courage of those who defend the dignity, justice and the right of peoples to be informed, because only informed peoples can make free decisions,” said Robert Francis Prevost in his message.
And he added: “The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community and calls on us all to safeguard the precious good of freedom of expression and of the press.”
In addition, Leo XIV confirmed that the trip that Francis had planned to Nicea, Turkey, at the end of May to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Christian Council is being prepared.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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