During his initial address as Pope, Leo XIV delivered a stirring message to the College of Cardinals on Saturday. He highlighted the significant new challenges artificial intelligence (AI) poses to human dignity, urging the Catholic Church to address these issues with clear moral vision and decisive action.

Speaking at the New Synod Hall, the Pope said the Catholic Church has faced similar moments before. 

He likened the rapid advancements in AI technology to the disruptions experienced during the 19th-century industrial revolution, emphasizing the Church’s duty to protect workers and advocate for justice.

“Pope Leo XIII, through the renowned Encyclical Rerum Novarum, tackled the social concerns stemming from the first major industrial revolution,” stated Pope Leo XIV. “In today’s context, the Church stands ready with its rich social doctrine to face this new industrial revolution and the emergence of artificial intelligence.”

Pope Leo XIV meets the College of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican, Saturday. (Vatican Media via AP)

“These are Gospel principles through which the merciful face of the Father has been revealed and continues to be revealed in the Son made man,” he said. “Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith.”

He also urged Catholics to stay grounded in quiet prayer and discernment in a noisy digital world. He quoted Scripture to say that God is often heard not in thunder or spectacle, but in “the whisper of a gentle breeze” or “the sound of sheer silence.”

The Pope also reflected on the recent death of Pope Francis. He called the moment both sorrowful and filled with God’s grace. He described the transition to a new pope as a “paschal event,” a kind of spiritual turning point, and thanked his predecessor for his life of service.

Pope Leo XIV meets the College of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican on Saturday. (Vatican Media via AP)

“I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council,” he said. He also encouraged more listening, dialogue and care for the poor.

As Vatican Media reported, the Pope’s remarks “invoked a vision of a Church firmly rooted in tradition but willing to meet the future with courage,” particularly in its response to technologies that are reshaping human identity.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.