Pope Leo XIV addressed France with a call to protect human dignity and the capacity for ethical judgment amid the growing influence of artificial intelligence on daily life. On Friday, large crowds gathered in the French capital to see Pope Leo XIV, who issued a warning about the loss of humanity in the 'paradise of machines.'
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to fill the streets of Paris as the head of the Catholic Church, which unites 1.4 billion people, makes his first official trip to this European country in 18 years. Among those gathered was Monique Barusse, 83, a resident of La Rochelle, who waited for the start of the papal procession.
After his address at the presidential palace with President Emmanuel Macron, he emphasized the need to protect humanity from AI. He stated that to prevent the loss of humanity in an environment where the 'paradise of machines' is invading and shaping our lives, there is an urgent need for education focused on ethical discernment.
During a period of tense transatlantic relations and the ongoing full-scale aggression of Russia against Ukraine for five years, the Pope called on the European nation to remain an 'unwavering defender of peace.' He noted that France must advocate for peace and multilateralism, especially within beloved Europe, in the face of war rumors and various global crises.
The Pope's first visit from the US occurs just seven months before the presidential elections, when ultra-right anti-immigrant forces see their best chance to seize power after the centrist. In a country that has separated church and state for over a century, Leo stressed that 'true secularism' should not exclude religion from education or public life.
Some politicians in recent years have used the brand of French secularism to justify bans on religious symbols, including Muslim women's attire, in public places and schools. After the adoption of a law in France in June allowing certain adult patients the right to assisted dying, Leo cautioned against turning science and technology into commercial enterprises that promote genetic manipulation, surrogacy, organ trafficking, or the ability to autonomously decide one's death.
It is expected that one million people will gather during the first two days of the Pope's visit to Paris. This is the first official trip by the head of the Vatican since Pope Benedict XVI visited in September 2008. The culmination of the pilgrimage will be a large mass on Saturday in Place de la Concorde and the adjacent Champs-Élysées.
Pope Leo will also visit Lourdes, a pilgrimage site for Christians worldwide, where he will hold a private meeting with victims of clerical sexual abuse, as well as Metz, near the German border, where he will continue to speak about peace in Europe.
On Friday afternoon, Pope Leo plans to speak before UNESCO's Culture and Education agency, after its head named the Pope an 'indispensable partner' in AI debates. He will also greet crowds on the way to Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris, where he will be the first Pope to view the works after the devastating 2019 fire. His predecessor, Pope Francis, visited France three times but never officially, and did not attend the reopening of this Gothic masterpiece at the end of 2024, when former presidential candidate Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk were among the guests.
Lidi Moradjian, 74, hoped to see the Pope as the papal car approached Notre Dame, remarking: 'It is pure joy, I am very, very happy.' The final event of the day's program will be prayer and hymns with 80,000 young believers aged 17 to 35 at the stadium in the suburb of Saint-Denis, Paris.