Pope Leo XIV Visits France, Warns Against AI Paradise of Machines
Pope Leo XIV traveled to France from September 25 to 28, 2026, visiting Paris, Lourdes, and Metz. During his Paris stop, he warned crowds against an AI-driven "paradise of machines," calling on Christians to keep human dignity at the center of technological progress.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Paris on September 25, 2026, for a four-day apostolic journey to France. The visit, themed "That the world may have life," took him to Paris, Lourdes, and Metz.
In Paris, the Pope met with French civil authorities at the Elysee Palace and visited UNESCO headquarters. He celebrated Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral and held a prayer vigil for young people at the Stade de France. During his public remarks, he issued a pointed warning about artificial intelligence, cautioning against what he called an AI-driven "paradise of machines" that could strip human life of meaning and dignity.
On September 26, the Pope visited the Maison Bakhita social support center before celebrating a large public Mass at the Place de la Concorde. Tens of thousands attended.
He then traveled to Lourdes, where he prayed at the Grotto of the Apparitions. On September 27, he met with the French Episcopal Conference, celebrated Mass at the Prairie, and visited the sick community. The day ended with a torchlight procession.
The final day, September 28, took the Pope to Metz for an interreligious meeting focused on European peace and unity. He celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Stephen before returning to Rome.
The visit drew significant crowds and required major security operations across Paris, including road closures and public transport adjustments near the Place de la Concorde and surrounding neighborhoods.
Pope Leo XIV, who took the papal name in honor of Leo XIII, has made technology ethics a recurring theme of his pontificate. His France visit marks one of the most high-profile papal trips to Western Europe in recent years.
