On World Press Freedom Day, the Pope honors journalists who have been killed in war zones Freedom of Journalists News

The Pope has asked to remember the journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of the truth, especially in areas of conflict.

Pope Leo has celebrated World Press Freedom Day by condemning violations of press freedom around the world and honoring journalists who have been killed while reporting in conflict zones.

At the end of his weekly Sunday prayer in the sunny courtyard of Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican, the pope said the day emphasized both the importance of independent journalism and the growing threats journalists faced.

“Today we celebrate World Press Freedom Day … unfortunately, this freedom is violated, sometimes openly, sometimes secretly,” he said.

World Press Freedom Day, sponsored by the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO, aims to show support for media organizations that come under pressure or censorship. It is also an opportunity to remember journalists who were killed in the line of duty.

The leader of the Catholic church has asked the faithful to remember journalists and journalists who have lost their lives for pursuing the truth especially in areas of conflict.

“We remember journalists and many journalists who have become victims of war and violence,” the Pope said.

A report last month by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs’ Costs of War project found that Israel’s war in Gaza was a success. The deadliest radio crew brawl ever recordedand Israeli forces have killed 232 Palestinian journalists since October 2023.

More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in both world wars, the Vietnam War, the war in Yugoslavia, and the United States’ war in Afghanistan combined, the report found.

In previous articles, the leader of the Catholic Church described journalism as a pillar of people and democracy, and information as a good thing for people that must be protected and protected.

The Pope often thanks journalists for sharing the truth, saying that their work cannot be considered a crime, and often calls for the release of journalists who have been unjustly imprisoned or accused.

Last week, the leading Paris-based media watchdog, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), or Reporters Without Borders, found that the freedom of the world’s press includes the right to broadcast news worldwide. has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century.

For the first time since RSF started compiling the index in 2002, it said more than half of the world’s countries fall into the “severe” or “very severe” categories of press freedom – “a clear sign that journalism is growing globally”.