On the heels of a growing scandal, Pope Leo delivered a message not just to his Church, but to every institution that struggles with transparency, accountability, and public trust.
While many headlines focused on his acknowledgment of abuse and corruption, one powerful message stood out:
In this time of profound institutional and social tensions, defending free and ethical journalism is not only an act of justice, but a duty of all those who yearn for a solid and participatory democracy.
Pope Leo
Wherever a journalist is silenced, the democratic soul of a country is weakened. Freedom of the press is an inalienable common good. Those who conscientiously exercise this vocation cannot see their voices silenced by petty interests or fear of the truth.
This rare statement from a world leader under fire lands with particular weight.
At a time where confidence in the judiciary has dropped to an all time low, the legal profession should start listening.
The Parallel Between Church and Courtroom
Both the Catholic Church and the legal system are institutions built on trust, hierarchy, and the promise of justice. And both have a long history of protecting their own at the expense of victims and truth.
When journalists expose misconduct in either system, the default response is often defensiveness.
Lawyers cry “confidentiality.”
Judges hide behind “judicial independence.”
Prosecutors spin silence as professionalism.
But like the Church, the legal profession must face a harder truth: silence protects the powerful, not the public.
Journalism as a Form of Public Oversight
Pope Leo’s statement acknowledged that journalists are necessary for rooting out injustice.
The legal world could use this reminder.
When misconduct is exposed, whether it’s a prosecutor withholding evidence or a judge engaging in backroom ex parte communications, t’s often journalists, not bar associations not judicial commissions, the organizations allegedly protecting the public, who bring it to light.
If the legal profession treated investigative journalism as a form of public oversight rather than a tool to push their version of the truth, or worse, an adversary, we’d see faster accountability and far fewer coverups.
An independent press can act as a pressure valve when internal disciplinary systems fail…and in their current state, failing is what they often do.
Transparency Isn’t Just Ethical—It’s Strategic
Some argue that legal institutions must operate behind closed doors to function properly. But that secrecy has done nothing but create an erosion of public trust. Transparency isn’t just ethical; it’s strategic.
If the legal profession embraced accountability with the same boldness as Pope Leo’s speech, we might begin to rebuild confidence in our courts.
And if Pope Leo, the leader of a deeply traditional, insular, and global institution, can acknowledge the importance of critical journalism, then surely the American legal system can stop hiding from scrutiny and take its requirement to pursue justice seriously.
A Warning and An Invitation
The legal system has a choice.
It can continue treating journalists as hostile critics, or it can accept them as necessary participants in the pursuit of justice. Pope Leo issued a warning cloaked in humility: the world is watching.
The legal world should take note.
