SocietyPope Leo XIV’s first official visit to France is highlighting the Catholic Church’s legacy of clergy sexual abuse alongside debates over artificial intelligence and assisted dying. As he prepares to meet survivors, questions are mounting over whether the Church has done enough to confront its past and whether trust can be fully restored.
WorldPope Leo XIV is visiting France, seeking to restore the Catholic Church’s standing after abuse scandals. He is expected to renew calls for global rules governing AI development and present his vision for Europe’s future.
Reuters
TechPope Leo XIV warned at UNESCO that artificial intelligence should serve humanity rather than become an “instrument of domination and injustice”. AI has been a central focus of his pontificate.
CulturePope Leo XIV celebrated Vespers at Notre Dame Cathedral on Friday, becoming the first pontiff to celebrate there since the landmark was nearly destroyed by fire in 2019. The organ played as he prayed inside the restored 12th-century Gothic cathedral.
The Associated Press
PoliticsEmmanuel Macron and Pope Leo XIV displayed contrasting world views during their first meeting in France. Speaking at the Elysée, the pontiff set the tone for his inaugural visit by calling for dialogue with the Republic, warning about AI and urging peace, while acknowledging that disagreements remain.
TechPope Leo XIV cautioned that humanity could lose sight of its human essence in a “paradise of machines” as artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in everyday life. During his first visit to France, he urged stronger ethical discernment and said people must remain central to discussions about AI.
WorldPope Leo is visiting France, seeking to restore the Catholic Church’s standing after abuse scandals. He is also expected to renew calls for global rules governing AI development and present his vision for Europe’s future.
Reuters
TechPope Leo continued to denounce the rise of AI during his visit to France, warning that rapidly advancing technology could undermine humanity. He stressed the need to preserve ethical discernment in the machine age.
WorldPope Leo is in France for a four-day historic visit, where he is urging leaders to reconsider artificial intelligence, ABC News reports from Paris.
ABC News
WorldPope Leo has flown from Rome to France for the first formal papal visit in nearly 20 years. Vatican correspondent Joshua McElwee is among about 80 journalists on the papal flight, offering a behind-the-scenes view of this unusual press trip.
Reuters
CulturePope Leo XIV led Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral on September 25 during his visit to Paris. A special France 24 edition followed the ceremony live from outside the cathedral and featured guests discussing its significance during the pontiff’s four-day visit to France.
WorldPope Leo XIV travelled through Paris in the popemobile on his way to Notre-Dame Cathedral during his visit to the French capital. Theology professor Father Michael Baggot analysed the scenes and explained why transhumanism and the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence have become recurring themes of the pontificate.
WorldWatch the replay of Pope Leo XIV’s September 25, 2026 address at UNESCO, delivered during the first stop of his visit to France. He spoke about peace, culture, AI and international cooperation.
WorldAfter visits to Paris and Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV is due in Metz on Monday to deliver a major speech on peace and European unity. Several heads of state, including Volodymyr Zelensky, are expected to attend. Live coverage begins at 11 a.m. Paris time.
WorldPope Leo XIV is in Paris. Follow the latest news in the live coverage.
WorldPope Leo XIV has begun a four-day visit to France, warning of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. After an hour of talks with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, he told Church and state officials that humanity must not be lost amid a paradise of machines.
BBC News
WorldPope Leo XIV has turned down a state dinner, the Legion of Honour and a private meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, keeping his four-day visit to France centred on its apostolic purpose. The Vatican cited scheduling, while some observers viewed the decisions as stressing the trip’s spiritual focus. He is nevertheless due to discuss European security and peace in Metz.
WorldCrowds are gathering outside Notre-Dame Cathedral ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s expected appearance, one of the highlights of his Paris visit. Before going to the cathedral, he is expected to speak at UNESCO headquarters about global challenges including peace, culture and international cooperation.
CulturePope Leo XIV has begun an intense four-day tour of France, with stops in Paris, the Catholic shrine at Lourdes and the northeastern city of Metz. Church bells rang nationwide when his charter flight landed at Orly airport, and more than a million people are expected to see him during the visit.
The Associated Press
WorldPope Leo XIV visits UNESCO headquarters in Paris and gives an address during his four-day visit to the city, the first papal visit to Paris in 18 years.
The Associated Press
PoliticsMacron greeted Pope Leo as the pontiff began a brisk four-day stay in France. Leo said he hoped to serve as a “pilgrim of peace” amid wars around the world, while also working to restore confidence in the Catholic Church after abuse scandals.
Reuters
WorldPope Leo XIV is visiting UNESCO’s headquarters and delivering an address in a live event.
PoliticsPope Leo spoke with reporters Friday while traveling to France for a four-day visit. Asked by a CNN journalist about the Trump administration’s effort to bar CNN and other reporters from the White House grounds, Leo said the media was welcome on his plane.
The Associated Press
PoliticsPope Leo XIV addressed major French debates including artificial intelligence, secularism and surrogacy during his speech at the Élysée Palace, while calling for peace and solidarity. Journalist Kethevane Gorjestani breaks down the main points of the address.