Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV warned against "losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines".
- The Pope made his remarks to Church and state officials at the Élysée Palace.
- Pope Leo XIV met with President Emmanuel Macron.
- A large Mass is planned for Saturday at the Place de la Concorde.
- The Pope was driven in his popemobile to Notre Dame cathedral.
Pope Leo XIV issued a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence during his four-day visit to France, cautioning against "losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines." The pontiff made these remarks to Church and state officials at the Élysée Palace following talks with President Emmanuel Macron.
Large crowds gathered to greet the Pope upon his arrival at Orly airport, reflecting what the Church attributes to growing spirituality in France and Europe. The high point of his visit is expected to be a Mass on Saturday at the Place de la Concorde, with an altar built and the Champs-Élysées sealed off for the event. Hundreds of thousands are anticipated to attend.
While President Macron will not attend the Mass due to France's strict separation of church and state, his wife Brigitte and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are expected. Several candidates for the upcoming presidential election, including Marine Le Pen, Edouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and Bruno Retailleau, are also scheduled to be present.
Earlier in the day, Pope Leo XIV was driven in his popemobile to Notre Dame cathedral. He is also scheduled to meet with 80,000 young people at the Stade de France and later attend Mass in Lourdes. The Pope's itinerary also includes a tribute to Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union, in Metz, and meetings with migrants and victims of sexual abuse by clergy in Paris.