Pope Leo XIV arrived in Paris on Friday, 25 September, for the first official papal visit to France in nearly twenty years. He was welcomed at the Elysee by President Emmanuel Macron, who called it a great honour and joy for the French Republic. Churches across the country rang their bells as his plane landed at Orly.
Speaking in flawless French before 500 guests, the pope drew on France’s motto, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, to make his points. He then delivered direct messages on the issues closest to him. He strongly criticised surrogacy, the buying of organs, genetic manipulation and what he called the offer of a programmed death, warning that science risks becoming a profitable business. His words came after France passed a law on end of life in July.
Leo XIV also warned about artificial intelligence. He said human dignity and fundamental rights must keep pace with technical progress, and quoted the writer Georges Bernanos, who feared a paradise of machines. He called for ethical judgment so that we do not lose our humanity. Macron, for his part, backed an international organisation to prevent AI from being concentrated in a few hands, saying humans should be freed by digital tools, not bound by them.
The pope urged France to remain a tireless defender of peace and multilateralism, especially within Europe, and warned against the spread of nuclear weapons. He also gave his view on secularism, saying a just version does not exclude religion from public life but encourages dialogue with the state. Before the 2027 presidential election, he called on French political figures to work in a spirit of unity, using the rebuilding of Notre-Dame as an example.
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Reference: Pécout, S. de Royer, & Belouezzane, S. (2026, September 25). Visite du pape à Paris : à l’Elysée, Léon XIV se montre offensif sur les sujets bioéthiques et sur l’IA, appelant à ne « pas perdre notre humanité » [Pope’s visit to Paris: at the Elysee, Leo XIV goes on the offensive on bioethics and AI, calling for us not to lose our humanity]. Le Monde. https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/09/25/visite-du-pape-a-paris-a-l-elysee-leon-xiv-se-montre-offensif-sur-les-sujets-bioethiques-et-sur-l-ia-appelant-a-ne-pas-perdre-notre-humanite_6782605_3224.html