Pope Leo XIV descends the stairs of the papal plane upon arriving at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine International Airport Sept. 28, 2026, during his apostolic journey to France. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Pope Leo says alarm over AI is not 'fake news,' but remains optimistic

Vatican

Pope Leo XIV spoke about the regulation of AI during his return flight to Rome, stating that concerns expressed by tech industry leaders over the catastrophic risks to humanity posed by the technology are not "fake news."

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Pope Leo XIV greets young people during a prayer vigil at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, Sept. 25, 2026, as part of the pope's four-day apostolic journey to France. (OSV News photo/Vatican Media/Simone Risoluti)

In Focus

French Catholics believe they're having a moment. Pope Leo seems to agree.

For many young Catholics, the pope's visit was a validation of the current cultural shift around Catholicism in France. Leo told 80,000 young people at a vigil, "You are the saints of France!"

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Pope Leo XIV greets Salesian Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, secretary general of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, at Borgo Laudato Si' in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome July 29, 2026. (AP/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Pope Leo XIV greets young people during a prayer vigil at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, Sept. 25, 2026, as part of the pope's four-day apostolic journey to France. (OSV News photo/Vatican Media/Simone Risoluti)

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French Catholics believe they're having a moment. Pope Leo seems to agree.

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Pope Leo XIV greets Salesian Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, secretary general of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, at Borgo Laudato Si' in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome July 29, 2026. (AP/Alessandra Tarantino)

Catholic Church's culture problem is closer to home than Pope Leo thinks

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Two women now head major Vatican offices, and a third will soon. But the altar rail tells another story about their progress in the church, writes Phyllis Zagano.

Vatican

Pope Leo XIV descends the stairs of the papal plane upon arriving at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine International Airport Sept. 28, 2026, during his apostolic journey to France. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Pope Leo says alarm over AI is not 'fake news,' but remains optimistic

Pope Leo XIV spoke about the regulation of AI during his return flight to Rome, stating that concerns expressed by tech industry leaders over the catastrophic risks to humanity posed by the technology are not "fake news."

French President Emmanuel Macron, Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline attend a meeting
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At a moment in history when relations between nations "are becoming increasingly barbaric," dialogue and multilateralism remain "the best antidote to the desire for domination, which lies at the root of every conflict," Pope Leo XIV said on the last of his four days in France from a town near the German border.

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Drawing huge crowds in Paris, Pope Leo urges France to embrace its Catholic heritage

French Catholics believe they're having a moment. Pope Leo seems to agree.

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