The Pope urges priests to prioritize their personal spiritual experience rather than technological tools like artificial intelligence.

It can no longer be said that the Church is not trying to keep up with the times. Pope Leo XIV, in a rare move, spoke of the impact of artificial intelligence on the lives of priests.

During a question-and-answer session with clergymen from the diocese of Rome, transcribed by Vatican News, the pontiff warned against "the temptation to prepare homilies using artificial intelligence."

“To deliver a true sermon is to share the faith,” and AI “will never be able to share the faith,” explained the head of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV urged his priests to “offer a service rooted in local culture” and individual spiritual experience, rather than one invented by ChatGPT.

"The brain needs to be stimulated."

"Like all the muscles in the body, if we don't use them, if we don't move them, they atrophy. The brain needs to be stimulated; therefore, we need to exercise our intelligence a little so as not to lose this capacity," he also added.

To avoid using AI to prepare Masses, the Holy Father stressed that a "life of prayer" was fundamental for priests, far removed from the illusions of internet "likes" or TikTok. "We must reflect very carefully and humbly on who we are and what we do," he cautioned four priests from the Diocese of Rome in an interview published this Friday.

Almost simultaneously, the Vatican unveiled this week the upcoming trips of Leo XIV, varied destinations that illustrate the American pope's desire to address a wide audience from Monaco to Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Spain.

His highly anticipated major African tour (April 13-23) will open with a highly symbolic stop in Algeria, the first by a pope in this country where Islam is the state religion.