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With Roe gone, we still need a culture of life

Volunteering in the Pro-Life movement in the 1990s, I remember praying for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as if it would immediately end the abortion problem in the United States. As a high schooler, [...]

Babies are rays of sunshine in our lives

They don’t need to speak to attract attention. A gesture or a glance is enough to make passersby slow down. In a fast-paced world, a baby naturally commands a pause. We stop, we smile, sometimes we exchange a few words with the parents. Suddenly, strangers find themselves connected by this little face that captures all Read More…

Babies are rays of sunshine in our lives

Pope Leo XIV to French Catholic media: Keep the heart of communication in an age of AI

Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds in St. Peter's Square after praying the Angelus on Jan. 18, 2026. |Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 22, 2026 / 04:45 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic journalists to double down on truth, human connection, and the voices of the vulnerable as artificial intelligence reshapes the communications landscape.

In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the pope’s behalf, Leo addressed the Fédération des Médias Catholiques ahead of its Saint François de Sales gathering in Lourdes, scheduled for Jan. 21–23.

“To face this era marked — including in the world of communications — by the rise of artificial intelligence, we urgently need to return to what matters most: matters of the heart, the centrality of good relationships, and the ability to connect with others without excluding anyone,” the pope's message said. That call, he added, is answered by “the service to truth that Catholic media can offer everyone, including those who do not believe.”

The pope specifically encouraged Catholic communications professionals to be “sowers of good words” and to amplify voices “that courageously seek reconciliation,” helping to “disarm hearts filled with hatred and fanaticism” in a world he described as “fragmented and polarized.”

He also urged journalists to tune in to those most likely to be overlooked.

The message called on Catholic media to act like antennas, picking up and passing along “the experiences of the vulnerable, the marginalized, those who are alone — and those who need to discover the joy of feeling loved.”

Leo’s message also pointed to Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest murdered at the altar while celebrating Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray on July 26, 2016. He was killed by two attackers who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group; both were later shot dead by police.

Noting that the federation has created an award in Hamel’s honor for journalists committed to peace and interreligious dialogue, the pope wrote that Hamel “was a witness to the faith, even to the point of death,” and believed deeply in dialogue and “patient, mutual listening.” He was convinced, the message said, that it is urgent “to know how to be close to others, without exception.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Pope to send Parolin to Denmark for incredible milestone

In January 2026, the Church will mark a remarkable milestone: 1,200 years since the beginning of the Christian mission in Denmark. To commemorate the occasion, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, as his papal legate for the celebrations in Copenhagen on January 25, 2026. The appointment, Read More…

Pope to send Parolin to Denmark for incredible milestone

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Cardinal Parolin: US-Europe tensions and ‘Board of Peace’ invite

When asked on January 21, 2026, about Donald Trump’s criticism of Europe at the Davos Forum (Switzerland), Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said that transatlantic tensions are “not healthy.” He said that Pope Leo XIV had received an invitation from the United States to join the “Board of Peace,” which the Holy See was Read More…

Cardinal Parolin: US-Europe tensions and ‘Board of Peace’ invite