Key facts
- Pope Leo warned against losing humanity in a "paradise of machines" at the start of a three-day visit to France.
- He stressed the need for ethical discernment and that new technologies must serve people, not dominate them.
- The pontiff also criticized world leaders who disrespect the rule of law.
- Pope Leo will deliver a speech on European peace in Metz as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues.
- He will privately meet seven victims of clerical sex abuse in Lourdes.
- Pope Leo told French politicians he urged them 'never to grow resigned to the prospect of war'.
Pope Leo warned against losing humanity in a “paradise of machines” as he began a three-day visit to France, addressing global concerns over artificial intelligence. He stressed the urgent need for ethical discernment and that new technologies must remain at the service of the human person, rather than becoming instruments of domination. The pontiff, who became pope in 2025, also criticized world leaders who disrespect the rule of law.
During a speech at the Elysée, Pope Leo stated that "every science risks losing its proper meaning when pursued without ethics." He added that while intelligence is attributed to computational systems, "we struggle to recognise the inalienable dignity of human persons whose lives are judged according to the criterion of efficiency and when deemed no longer productive, rejected and discarded."
This visit, the first official papal trip to France in 18 years, comes as President Emmanuel Macron's term nears its end and ahead of next spring's presidential election, where far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is polling strongly. Pope Leo also voiced the Catholic Church's opposition to France's assisted dying laws and expressed concern over trends that "risk turning science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs or the possibility of arranging one’s own death."
Further engagements include a mass on Saturday at Place de la Concorde, a speech on European peace in Metz, and a private meeting with seven victims of clerical sex abuse in Lourdes. The Catholic Church in France has agreed to provide compensation following a 2021 report estimating 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by church-related figures, describing a "systemic" cover-up.