- Pope Leo XIV welcomed journalists aboard his flight to France for a four-day visit, emphasizing the press's essential role amid media access restrictions by the Trump administration.
- Responding to a CNN reporter regarding White House attempts to exclude certain news outlets, the Pope reassured the traveling press pool that all journalists are welcome on his flight.
- The Pope's comments follow a judge's ruling on Thursday granting CNN, MS NOW, and Politico a reprieve to resume White House coverage.
- Pope Leo XIV personally apologized to the press pool for a previous trip when an Iberia charter breakdown forced him to take a private flight back to Rome without the media.
- He clarified that he had no role in deciding to take the Spanish king's private jet, which left more than 70 journalists waiting at the Tenerife airport for a replacement flight.
IN FULL
