Photo by Vatican Media
Catholic digital influencers and online evangelizers must create an authentically loving “encounter of hearts” and foster “a culture of Christian humanism,” Pope Leo XIV said in a July 29 address.
“[A]lways look for the ‘suffering flesh of Christ’ in every brother and sister you encounter online,” Pope Leo told those gathered in Rome for the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers. “Today we find ourselves in a new culture, deeply characterized and formed by technology. It is up to us — it is up to each one of you — to ensure that this culture remains human.”
He began his address in St. Peter’s Basilica using the same words with which he began his pontificate: “Peace be with you!”
“How much we need peace in these times marked by hostility and war, which in turn calls us to give witness to the greeting of the Risen Lord: ‘Peace be with you!’ May his peace be with all of us, in our hearts and in our actions,” Pope Leo said. “This is the mission of the Church: to proclaim peace to the world! The peace that comes from the Lord, who conquered death, brings us God’s forgiveness, gives us the life of the Father, and shows us the way of Love!”
Those gathered for the Jubilee are tasked with this mission, too, especially by proclaiming it online, he said.
“Peace needs to be sought, proclaimed, and shared everywhere, both in the places where we see the tragedy of war and in the empty hearts of those who have lost the meaning of life and the desire for introspection and the spiritual life,” Pope Leo said.
“Perhaps, today more than ever,” he continued, “we need missionary disciples who convey the gift of the Risen Lord to the world; who voice to the ends of the earth the hope that Jesus gives us; and who go wherever there is a heart that waits, seeks, and is in need.”
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the culture, which is now so steeped in technology, remains human, especially by protecting the dignity of all persons. Science and technology — which can impact how people relate to God and to each other, as well as how they understand themselves — should serve humanity, not undermine it.
“[N]othing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others,” Pope Leo said. “Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together. This is the beauty of the ‘network’ for all of us.”
Pope Leo chose his papal name after Pope Leo XIII, with the need to address the technological revolution — especially of artificial intelligence (AI) — in mind. Pope Leo XIII led the Church at the turn of the industrial revolution, and Pope Leo XIV, recognizing a similar historic change at work through technology, felt called to respond similarly.
“Today we are in a culture where the technological dimension is present in almost everything, especially as the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence will mark a new era in the lives of individuals and society as a whole,” Pope Leo said. “This is a challenge that we must face: reflecting on the authenticity of our witness, on our ability to listen and speak, and on our capacity to understand and to be understood. We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language of our time, that gives voice to Love.”
“It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter of hearts. This will entail seeking out those who suffer, those who need to know the Lord, so that they may heal their wounds, get back on their feet and find meaning in their lives.”
This must happen first by recognizing one’s own poverty and need for the Gospel, he said. Concluding, Pope Leo recalled the words of Jesus from Matthew 4:21-22, when He tells the disciples, “go and mend the nets.”
Jesus asks the same of digital evangelizers and influencers, and of all people, Pope Leo said.
The digital evangelizers and influencers are called to weave “networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter; networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no ‘bubble’ can silence the voices of the weakest; networks that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other’s eyes; networks of truth.
“In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network: the network of networks, the network of God.”
He invited them to be promoters of communion who can combat division, polarization, individualism, and egocentrism.
“Centre yourselves on Christ, so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of Truth,” he said.
The Pope thanked the influencers and evangelizers, “for pursuing your dreams, for your love for the Lord Jesus and your love for the Church, for the help you give to those who suffer, and for your journey along the virtual highways.”