Pope Leo XIV received rock star status during a festival of Catholic opinion leaders held at the Vatican. The event brought together clergy, nuns and lay believers who actively use social media for preaching and spiritual enlightenment.
In his address, he stressed the need to maintain human connections against the backdrop of the development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
The first American pope in history was the focus of attention of hundreds of bloggers, who turned their smartphone cameras to watch his arrival at St. Peter's Basilica after a special service.
The faithful have arrived in Rome to take part in unique celebrations dedicated to “digital missionaries” as part of the Vatican’s week-long jubilee for young people, culminating in an all-night vigil and mass at a vast site near the Italian capital.
Leo thanked the younger generation for their online activity and willingly took photos with the participants. However, he urged them not to forget about the importance of live communication in the pursuit of popularity, and to avoid misinformation and superficiality of virtual interaction.
“It is important not just to produce content, but also to create moments of cordial unity,” the pontiff said, displaying fluency in Italian, Spanish and English. “Become bridges of unity, capable of overcoming division, polarization and self-centeredness.”
He added: “It is up to all of us to preserve humanity in contemporary culture. Our common task is to develop Christian humanism through genuine connections: friendship, love and union with God.”
In recent days, the Vatican has expressed gratitude to young opinion leaders for their mission on social media, while warning against losing the depth of the message and ignoring personal interaction.
For Leo, these questions are particularly relevant given his stated priority for his pontificate on countering the risks of AI to humanity.
The celebrations began with the procession of groups through the Holy Doors of the Basilica, a symbolic ritual for the 32 million participants in the 2025 Holy Year celebrations. The streets of Rome were filled with young people in Catholic scout uniforms, students from church schools and representatives of religious communities.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
