The pontiff marked the centenary of the Vatican Publishing House, saying printed books remain a vital \u201copportunity to think\u201d in the digital age.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday underscored the enduring value of printed books in the digital age, saying reading \u201cnourishes the mind\u201d and offers Christians a valuable opportunity to proclaim Christ.<\/p>\n
The pope made the remarks May 7 during an audience at the Vatican with employees of the Vatican Publishing House, or Libreria Editrice Vaticana, which was founded in 1926 and is celebrating its centenary this year.<\/p>\n
The Holy Father said the book \u201cis an opportunity to think,\u201d defending the physicality of printed books in an increasingly digital culture because, he said, they remind readers of the importance of \u201cthought, reflection, and study.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReading nourishes the mind; it helps to foster a conscious and well-formed critical sense, guarding us against fundamentalism and ideological shortcuts,\u201d Pope Leo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this reason, I urge everyone to read books, as an antidote to closed-mindedness, which is reflected in rigid attitudes and reductive views of reality,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The pope also emphasized that books offer an opportunity for encounter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we hold a book in our hands, we ideally encounter its author,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at the same time, we meet those who have read it before us, or who are reading it now or will read it in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo noted that Pope Francis had taught Catholics \u201cto practice the culture of encounter,\u201d adding that \u201ca book is a bridge to others, a source of dialogue that enriches us, a stimulus to expand our own perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Christians in particular, the pope said, books can be \u201can opportunity to proclaim Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know well how reading a saint\u2019s biography or a well-written spiritual reflection can touch the heart,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to the Virgin Mary, who is often depicted in the Annunciation \u201cintent on reading the holy Scriptures,\u201d and to St. Anthony of Padua, who is commonly shown holding \u201cthe open Book of the Gospels, upon which the Infant Jesus stands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe often see St. Augustine seated at a desk before a large book and, at times, holding a heart in his hand: truth and charity,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the school of Mary and the saints, let us nourish ourselves with the word of God, so that it may shape our way of thinking and acting,\u201d Pope Leo added.<\/p>\n
The pope concluded by recalling the words of St. Paul VI, who in 1976 met with employees of the Vatican Publishing House for its 50th anniversary and urged them to \u201clook ahead, to refine ideas and plans for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thank you for your work, which I hope you will carry out with dedication and passion,\u201d Pope Leo said. \u201cAnd I cordially bless each of you and your loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n