As world leaders, researchers, and technology experts gathered in Geneva this week for the AI for Good Global Summit, Pope Leo XIV renewed the Catholic Church’s call for dialogue, urging people from every sector of society to work together so artificial intelligence serves the common good rather than diminishing the dignity of the human person.
According to Vatican News, the Holy Father sent a message to participants in the July 7–10 summit through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State. The event, organized by the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union in partnership with other U.N. agencies and the Swiss government, focuses on how artificial intelligence can address global challenges while raising important ethical questions.
In the Pope’s message, the Vatican emphasized that the Church seeks engagement rather than isolation as AI rapidly reshapes modern society.
“As you are convening to reflect upon AI, which raises some of the major questions of our time regarding the future of humanity, the Holy Father would like to assure you of the Holy See’s presence and openness to dialogue, especially in this epochal turning point,” according to the message released by Vatican News.
The message also points to Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, explaining that it reflects both hope and concern surrounding artificial intelligence.
According to Vatican News, the Pope wrote that the encyclical was born from listening to “scientists and engineers who work with sincere enthusiasm on technologies capable of alleviating immense suffering; to political leaders and public officials who have perseveringly sought just rules; to parents and teachers who are deeply concerned for the future of younger generations.”
At the same time, the Holy Father acknowledged the dangers posed by unchecked technological development. According to Vatican News, the encyclical was “also impelled by troubling accounts of the potential misuses of algorithms and by the loss of human agency in critical areas.”
Rather than treating AI as merely a technological issue, Pope Leo has repeatedly framed it as a moral and human question that demands ethical leadership rooted in respect for every person created in the image of God.
That same vision is inspiring a broader Catholic response through Your Catholic Voice Foundation’s new initiative, AI and the Future of the Catholic Church: The Great Catholic Mobilization.
The campaign encourages Catholics to respond to the age of artificial intelligence by defending human dignity, strengthening Catholic education, protecting families, forming young people before algorithms do, building faithful Catholic media and digital infrastructure, and ensuring that technology always remains at the service of the human person rather than replacing conscience, prayer, or authentic human relationships.
As part of that effort, Your Catholic Voice Foundation is preparing a free downloadable booklet titled AI and the Future of the Catholic Church: The Great Catholic Mobilization. The resource is designed for families, students, teachers, parishes, Catholic leaders, donors, and people of good will around the world. It explains why artificial intelligence is not only a technological issue but also a human, moral, spiritual, educational, and Catholic one, while offering practical ways for Catholics to respond with clarity, courage, and hope. Readers are encouraged to download it when available, share it with their families and parishes, use it in Catholic education, and help spread its message worldwide.
The Vatican’s message to the Geneva summit concludes with an assurance of the Holy Father’s prayers for those working in the field of artificial intelligence, expressing his hope that their efforts will truly “serve humanity,” according to Vatican News.
As artificial intelligence continues to influence education, communication, healthcare, work, and daily life, Pope Leo XIV’s appeal serves as a reminder that technological innovation must always remain guided by moral truth, human dignity, and the common good.
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