Pope Leo XIV in France: AI Warning, Bioethics and Peace Agenda
Pope Leo XIV warned against losing humanity in a "paradise of machines" on 25 September 2026 as he opened a three-day visit to France centered on artificial intelligence, bioethics and European peace.
He gave the warning in a speech at the Élysée Palace, where French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him on Friday morning The Guardian. The Vatican published the address under the title 'Apostolic Journey to France: Meeting with the Authorities' Vatican. Apostolic journey is the Vatican's formal term for a papal trip. In the official English text, Leo said a "paradise of machines" was invading and conditioning daily life. He pointed to France's Christian roots and its record on human rights when discussing scientific progress and artificial intelligence, systems that learn from data and make decisions CBC.
At UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the UN agency for education, science and culture, Leo said new technologies must serve the human person and not become tools of domination and injustice. He called for education in ethical discernment, meaning the practical skill of judging what is morally right when using new tools. Warning about AI risks has been a central theme of his tenure Reuters.
Leo also criticized assisted dying on his arrival. France is now implementing legislation passed in June that grants some adult patients the right to assisted dying, or medical help to die under legal rules DW.
It is the first official papal visit to France in 18 years. Pope Francis made no full state visit to France during his 12-year pontificate and did not attend the inauguration of the rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral in 2024 Reuters. Leo became pope in 2025. He is 71 and the first pope from the United States. His paternal grandmother was born in France. The Élysée listed 25 September 2026 as the date of the Voyage apostolique du Pape Léon XIV en France Élysée.
The September 2026 visit is structured as a three-city tour. Leo will lead a large outdoor Mass on Saturday at Place de la Concorde. He will then visit Lourdes, where he will meet privately with seven victims of clerical sex abuse. He will deliver a speech on European peace in Metz on Monday.
The broader context here is a papacy testing how moral authority works inside secular institutions. Paris offers three audiences in sequence: the French state, the multilateral system through UNESCO, and Catholics in the square and at the shrine. AI governance and end-of-life law touch French law directly, while Lourdes touches trust inside the Church and Metz touches Europe's security debate.
Looking ahead, the stops at Concorde, Lourdes and Metz will give a clearer picture. The speeches will indicate whether the Vatican seeks concrete follow-up in multilateral forums or with France, and whether French officials respond in kind.
