The pontiff spoke to reporters for the first time since Dec. 23.
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV told EWTN News he “cannot comment” on Jimmy Lai, the Catholic founder and publisher of the outspoken pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, who was sentenced Feb. 9 on charges Chinese authorities say violate national security laws.
The sentence to 20 years in prison came after his conviction in December, a case his supporters have denounced as a politically driven show trial.
Pope Leo XIV met with Lai’s wife and daughter in October 2025. The Pope has not talked about Lai directly but has spoken about imprisoned journalists and the importance of press freedom.
“The Church recognizes in these witnesses — I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives — the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices,” he said. “The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press.”
The Vatican maintains a delicate relationship
