Mircea Cărtărescu, received by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

Romanian writer Mircea Cărtărescu was among the 20 authors invited to the Vatican by Pope Leo XIV, on the occasion of marking the centenary of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the official publishing house of the Holy See. The meeting was attended by writers from several countries, representing diverse cultural traditions and religious sensibilities. Among the guests were Jon Fosse, Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Jonathan Safran Foer, Marilynne Robinson, Elizabeth Strout, Julia Navarro, Colum McCann and Sorj Chalandon. After the meeting with the Sovereign Pontiff, Mircea Cărtărescu described the experience as exceptional.

"A unique moment, which I would never have thought I would experience. I thank His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for his great kindness”, the author wrote on Facebook.

The Romanian writer reported that, after the greeting and brief exchange of words with the Pope, the guests benefited from an exclusive tour of St. Peter's Basilica, temporarily closed to the public.

"I am grateful for this amazing opportunity, one of those that you only have once in a lifetime," he added.

• Pope Leo XIV: "Writing is an act of truth"

In his speech to the guests, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the connection between literature, truth and spirituality. "Writing is related to God," the Sovereign Pontiff told the participants, emphasizing that numerous theologians have reflected on the relationship between the act of writing and divine revelation. The Pope highlighted the role of literature in cultivating empathy and understanding human nature. "When you write stories and create characters, you identify with them, you understand their points of view, their emotions, their feelings and their attitudes. This is the great lesson of humanity that you offer to your readers,” he said. The Pontiff described writing as a form of revealing human identity and values. "Writing is an act of truth, of revelation. Writing tells us who we are, what we believe and hope for, the world we strive for and the future we dream of,” declared Pope Leo XIV.

In his message, the leader of the Catholic Church insisted on the idea that truth should not be seen as an exclusive property. "Truth is not a territory to be defended, but a good to be shared,” the Pope said, adding that people are not the masters of truth, but those who are called to discover it and follow it. He encouraged writers to continue to cultivate an interest in truth through their works and to remain open to the complexity of human experience. The Vatican meeting was one of the main events dedicated to the centenary of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, bringing together prestigious authors from contemporary literature in a dialogue about culture, faith and the responsibility of the creative act.