PARIS — Pope Leo XIV warned Friday that a "paradise of machines" risked undermining humanity as he opened a trip to France by posing fundamental questions about what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, a nuclear arms race and other threats to life itself. Leo raised existential concerns about scientific progress, life and human rights during his opening speech to President Emmanuel Macron and authorities at the Élysée Palace and then to diplomats and United Nations employees at the headquarters of UNESCO, the U.N. culture and education organization. With wars plaguing Europe and the Middle East, he reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to nuclear weapons and said the nuclear deterrence doctrine was "mistaken" since it was just fueling a new arms race.
"Peace is not a balance of power; rather, it is built day by day through dialogue and justice," he said. Leo has an intense four days in France, where the Catholic Church has lost ground on influencing ethical issues given the strict approach to secularism that is enshrined in the French Constitution. Church bells tolled across the country when Leo's charter flight landed at Paris' Orly airport, and more than a million people are expected to turn out to see him.
They lined the streets of the capital as Leo's motorcade passed by, underscoring the surprising level of interest in Leo's visit, the first official state visit by a pope in 18 years. Macron said Leo's visit brings "a source of hope" to many French people. "France stands on the side of peace, effective multilateralism, respect for international law and the United Nations Charter ... because every life has equal value, and all peoples must be defended," he said.
For Macron, who is barred from seeking a third term in May elections, hosting the American pope is something of a capstone. Pope Francis had refused repeatedly to make a proper state visit to France during his 12-year pontificate and pointedly refused to join the inauguration of the rebuilt Notre Dame cathedral in 2024. "For a president of the republic as Macron, who is at the end of his mandate, it can be important to be aside the pope and to capture a part of his popularity," said Charles Mercier, director of history and sociology of Catholicism studies at Paris EPHE university.
With seven months left in his term, Macron's approval ratings are near record lows, driven by anger over the rising cost of living and criticism of France's growing debt and deficit and deteriorating public services. Smiling broadly as Leo spoke French, Macron thanked the pope for visiting, saying: "You are here with us for an extended visit, giving us your time, and that is moving." The Rev. Aristide Ahidote, from Ivory Coast, was among those who planned to attend the pope's vespers service in Notre Dame later Friday.
"God has given us a pope with vigor and strength," he said. While acknowledging the French church has declined in popularity, Ahidote said "it still has small remnants and these small remnants have been edifying for me." Unlike Francis, who liked to travel to small Catholic communities far from Rome, Leo has been keen to emphasize and reawaken Europe's Christian roots. He is seeking to push the church's message about the value and dignity of human life in a country where the right to abortion was enshrined in the constitution in 2024, and where lawmakers recently gave final approval to a bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication.
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