Pope Leo XIV emphasizes the importance of reading and reflects on three enriching aspects of books during his encounter with members of the editorial offices of the Vatican Publishing House (LEV).
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“In these hundred years of activity, the Vatican Publishing House has served nine Pontiffs, disseminating their Magisterium as a contribution to spreading the Gospel throughout the world.”
Pope Leo XIV expressed these words of gratitude during his meeting with members of the Vatican Publishing House in the Vatican on Thursday.
Noting that the gathering marked the publishing house’s centenary, the Holy Father described the occasion as something of a “family celebration.”
The Pope recalled that in 1926 the Vatican Publishing House became independent from the much older Vatican Printing Press, originally founded in 1587.
He then offered three brief reflections on the importance of books and reading.
Books, an opportunity to think
First, the Holy Father said books offer an opportunity to think. Especially in the digital age, he noted, the physical nature of a book reminds people of the importance of thought, reflection, and study.
“Reading,” the Pope said, “nourishes the mind” and “helps cultivate a conscious and well-formed critical sense, guarding against fundamentalism and ideological shortcuts.”
For this reason, Pope Leo encouraged everyone to read books “as an antidote to closed-mindedness, which is reflected in rigid attitudes and reductive visions of reality.”
Books, an opportunity to encounter others
Second, the Pope reflected on books as an opportunity to encounter others.
“When we hold a book in our hands,” he observed, “we encounter its author in an ideal sense. At the same time, we also encounter those who have read it before us, those reading it now, and those who will read it in the future.”
He noted that writers and readers increasingly have opportunities to come together to speak and listen to one another.
Pope Leo XIV delivers his address (@Vatican Media)
Recalling Pope Francis’ frequent emphasis on a “culture of encounter,” Pope Leo suggested that books serve as bridges toward others, fostering dialogue, enriching understanding, and broadening perspectives.
Books, an opportunity to proclaim Christ
Finally, Pope Leo underscored that, for Christians, books are also an opportunity to proclaim Christ.
“We know well how reading the biography of a saint or a well-presented spiritual reflection can touch the heart,” he said.
The Pope also reflected on artistic depictions linking saints and sacred texts.
“The Virgin Mary,” he pointed out, “is often depicted, in scenes of the Annunciation, intent on reading the Sacred Scriptures. Saint Anthony of Padua is portrayed holding the open Book of the Gospels, upon which the Child Jesus stands. Saint Augustine is often shown seated at a writing desk before a large book and, at times, holding a heart in his hand: truth and charity.”
Nourishing ourselves with the Word of God
“In the school of Mary and the Saints,” the Pope said, “let us nourish ourselves with the Word of God, so that it may shape our way of thinking and acting.”
Pope Leo also echoed the words addressed by Pope Saint Paul VI to the Vatican Publishing House in 1976, during celebrations marking its fiftieth anniversary.
Paul VI, he recalled, encouraged its members to “look ahead, toward the refinement of ideas and programs for the future.”
Finally, Pope Leo concluded his address by thanking those before him for carrying out their work with dedication and passion and imparting his Apostolic Blessing.
Pope Leo receives staff of the Vatican Publishing House (LEV) in the Vatican (@VATICAN MEDIA)
