“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. The Pope recalled that in 1926 the Vatican Publishing House became independent from the much older Vatican Printing Press, originally founded in 1587.

The Holy Father said books offer an opportunity to think. Especially in the digital age, 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.”

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”… 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.

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”.

Sathyadeepam Weekly