Pope Leon XIV addresses 20 international writers at Vatican publishing centenary

Pope Leon XIV held an audience with a group of twenty writers from various countries at the Vatican, marking the 100th anniversary of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Among the invited authors were Mircea Cărtărescu, Jon Fosse, Éric‑Emmanuel Schmitt, Marilynne Robinson, Elizabeth Strout, Jonathan Safran Foer, Julia Navarro and others.

In his address the pontiff quoted his predecessor Paul VI and said, “We need you; writing is an act of truth.” He urged writers to use imagination to create spaces of freedom and authenticity, stressing that writing reveals humanity, fosters empathy and connects to the divine. The audience took place in a small hall adjacent to the Paul VI Auditorium, and several participants shared gratitude on social media, describing the meeting as a unique, once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience.