Pope Leo XIV has arrived in France for a four-day visit, using his opening remarks at the Élysée Palace to warn against the potential erosion of human values in the face of advancing artificial intelligence. Following discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, the pontiff cautioned against the risk of “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines.”
This sentiment echoes concerns previously raised by the Pope in a major teaching document released earlier this year, where he compared the potential exploitation inherent in AI to historical slave trades. The pontiff’s itinerary includes a significant mass at the Place de la Concorde, expected to draw over 500,000 attendees, and a gathering of 80,000 young people at the Stade de France. Throughout his trip, the Pope is also scheduled to meet with migrant groups and survivors of clerical sexual abuse.
The visit highlights the complex relationship between the French state and the Catholic Church. While President Macron described the visit as a “great honour,” he will not attend the masses to maintain the country’s strict secularist policies. Despite these tensions, the Church has noted a recent resurgence in interest regarding religious tradition, evidenced by a doubling of adult baptisms over the last five years.
The Pope’s schedule remains rigorous, with planned stops in Lourdes and Metz, where he will honor Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union. Although officials noted that the Pope declined a meeting with artisans involved in the restoration of Notre-Dame due to time constraints, the visit remains a major logistical operation for French authorities.
Source: BBC News
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