Mircea Cărtărescu, meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican: "A unique moment, which I never would have believed I would experience."

Mircea Cărtărescu was among the invited authors at an audience granted by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on June 24, to celebrate 100 years since the establishment of the Vatican Publishing House.

The meeting took place in the adjacent room of the Paul VI Hall and brought together renowned writers, including Jon Fosse and Marilynne Robinson. In his speech, the Pope emphasized the importance of literature as an act of truth and revelation, stating that writing reflects human identity and aspirations. Cărtărescu described the moment as unique and thanked the Pope for his kindness. The Sovereign Pontiff stressed that truth must be embraced and that writing develops empathy and dialogue. He also linked the act of writing to the spiritual dimension of existence, highlighting that the fundamental questions of life contribute to the understanding of the human condition.