(Vatican City, 10 May 2025). SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, expresses its profound joy and gratitude for the election of Pope Leo XIV by the College of Cardinals on May 8 in Rome.
With hearts full of hope, Catholic communicators worldwide welcome the Holy Father, offering our prayers and renewing our commitment to serve the Church and the world through the media. Indeed, some of us already know him and have worked with him, as Catholic communicators.
While celebrating with other Catholics in the United States that he is a native Chicagoan, we know Pope Leo XIV is truly a man of the universal church. He is a citizen of both Peru and the United States. His grandparents were immigrants to the United States and he has spent most of his life as a missionary, visiting and serving many parts of the world as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine
At this historic moment for the universal Church, SIGNIS recognizes the immense responsibility that the Holy Spirit has entrusted to the new pontiff. As an association dedicated to transforming our cultures in the light of the Gospel through communication, we are committed to supporting the Holy Father in leading the Church to bring the “peace of the risen Christ… A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering,” as he proclaimed in his first address as pontiff.
SIGNIS, with its members in nearly 100 countries, renews its commitment to promote a culture of encounter and dialogue in the media, following the Church’s constant invitation to communicate with truth and compassion. In a communications landscape marked by misinformation and polarization, Catholic communicators seek to be witnesses of unity and builders of peace.
We rejoice in the Holy Father’s invitation to “journey together” as a synodal church, “a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close above all to those who are suffering.”
Along with our Blessed Mother, may our patron, St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero, intercede for the Petrine ministry of the new Pope and the mission of all communicators in the service of the Church and the world.
Helen Osman
President of SIGNIS
SIGNIS is the World Catholic Association for Communication, present in more than 100 countries. It brings together professionals in radio, television, film, video, digital media, education, and communication to promote a Gospel-inspired culture.