Pope Leo XIV said March 3 he “can't comment” on the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, a Catholic and outspoken pro-democracy advocate who was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year under China’s national security law.
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Speaking briefly with reporters outside the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope declined to address Lai’s case directly, according to EWTN News.
As Zeale News previously reported, Lai, a convert and billionaire media mogul, was arrested in 2020 after speaking out against Communist oppression in Hong Kong. In 2021, the government forced the shutdown of his pro-democracy news publication, The Apple Daily.
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Lai was arrested on allegations of “collusion with foreign forces” and “sedition,” charges supporters say were politically motivated. Father Robert Sirico of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a friend of Lai, described the proceedings as a “show trial” in which Lai’s guilt had been predetermined and judges were selected by the Chinese Communist Party. Lai was sentenced Feb. 9.
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Pope Leo met with Lai’s wife and daughter in October 2025 but has not publicly commented on the case.
The Vatican maintains relations with the government of the People’s Republic of China, including a provisional agreement first reached in 2018 on the appointment of Catholic bishops in mainland China.
The Pope has previously spoken about imprisoned journalists and the importance of press freedom, including in remarks to reporters in May 2025.
“The Church recognizes in these witnesses — I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives — the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices,” Pope Leo said in earlier remarks. “The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community.”
Speaking in Oct 2025 to the MINDS conference, a nonprofit network of news agencies, the Pope said citizens and reporters share responsibility for safeguarding reliable information.
“Doing the work of a journalist can never be considered a crime, but it is a right that must be protected,” Pope Leo said, adding that free access to information is a pillar of society and must be defended.
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