Pope Leo XIV has urged journalists to focus on the human suffering caused by war and avoid turning news coverage into propaganda. Speaking to broadcasters from the Italian news program TG2, the pope warned against glorifying conflicts or amplifying the narratives of those in power.
The pontiff called on reporters to show "the face of war" by telling stories through the perspective of victims. Doing so, he said, helps prevent conflicts from being portrayed like a video game detached from their real-world consequences.
Leo did not mention a specific conflict in his remarks, but he has recently increased calls for an end to the growing US-Israeli war with Iran. On Sunday, he urged an immediate ceasefire, describing the violence as "atrocious."
His comments echo criticism from Blase Cupich, the Chicago cardinal who recently condemned a White House social media video mixing footage from the Iran war with scenes from video games and action films, calling it "sickening."