Pope Leo XIV recently told priests in Rome not to rely on artificial intelligence to prepare homilies.
He warned that AI "will never be able to share faith" and urged clergy to strengthen real-world relationships and resist online temptations that can pull ministry toward popularity.
The Pope made the remarks at a Feb. 19 meeting with priests of the Diocese of Rome, where he also encouraged friendships among clergy and closer human contact with the people they serve.
Leo warned against "the temptation to prepare homilies with Artificial Intelligence" and argued that preaching demands a capacity that must be exercised rather than outsourced.
"Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die," Leo said. "The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity."
He also pointed to TikTok as a threat to clergy work, describing an online dynamic in which people can mistake "likes" and "followers" for meaningful engagement.
Leo also urged priests to focus on transmitting the message of Jesus Christ and to reflect "very carefully and humbly" if that message is not being conveyed.
The Pope described young people as increasingly isolated after the pandemic and amid constant smartphone use, and he encouraged priests to consider avenues such as culture and sports to reach them.
"They live a kind of distance from others, a coldness, without knowing the richness, the value of truly human relationships," he said.
"We must go ourselves, we must invite other young people, go out into the streets with them; perhaps offer different ways."
Leo has repeatedly framed artificial intelligence as a defining concern for the Catholic Church, linking his choice of name to Pope Leo XIII and the social challenges of the Industrial Revolution.
"In our own day, the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor," he said.
In other public comments, Leo has said that AI, including generative AI, can open new horizons, including in healthcare and scientific discovery, while also raising ethical questions about truth, beauty, and how people grasp and process reality.
He has said access to large amounts of data should not be confused with intelligence and has called for safeguards and broader participation in governance.
"No sector can tackle the challenge of steering digital innovation and AI governance alone," Leo said. "Safeguards must therefore be put in place.
"All stakeholders, from the tech industry to legislators, from creative companies to academia, from artists to journalists and educators, must be involved in building and implementing informed and responsible digital citizenship."
Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, became pontiff in May 2025 after the death of Pope Francis, taking the name Leo XIV.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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