Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Pope Leo XIV Addresses Church Abuse and Artificial Intelligence Concerns
Pope Leo XIV spoke with reporters after visiting France for four days.
He said some parts of the Catholic Church have been abusive, but he did not want to call sexual abuse systemic throughout the entire Church.
He said abuse can deeply hurt victims and their faith.
He believes the Church should help survivors heal.
The pope also talked about artificial intelligence, or AI.
He said people should not dismiss worries about AI as “fake news.”
However, he said he is not panicking and can sleep at night.
He also defended his opposition to assisted dying and said he was not trying to interfere in French politics.
France’s parliament passed a law this year allowing assisted dying in some situations.
Pope Leo XIV said the Catholic Church has sometimes been abusive but rejected describing sexual abuse as systemic across the Church.
He said warnings about artificial intelligence should be taken seriously rather than dismissed as “fake news.”
Leo said he was not in “panic mode” about AI but urged discussion and ethical education.
He said abuse survivors’ faith and lives can be deeply damaged and that the Church must support their healing.
Leo defended his opposition to assisted dying, saying his comments did not cross the boundary between Church and state.
- Who
- Pope Leo XIV, abuse survivors, the Catholic Church, and reporters aboard the papal plane.
- What
- Leo addressed sexual abuse in the Church, artificial-intelligence risks, and his opposition to assisted dying.
- When
- Monday, September 28, as Leo returned from a four-day visit to France.
- Where
- Aboard the papal plane returning from France; the issues also concerned the Church and France.
- Why
- Leo was responding to reporters’ questions about his meeting with abuse survivors, AI concerns, and comments on assisted dying.
Critics and concerns
Papal responses
Whether abuse is systemic
Critics and concerns
Some survivors described sexual abuse as “systemic abuse in the Church,” while Leo acknowledged that some Church organizations had operated abusively as a system.
Papal responses
Leo said he preferred not to describe sexual abuse as systemic throughout the Church and framed the issue more narrowly around particular organizations.
How to view artificial intelligence
Critics and concerns
Concerns about AI include possible effects on humanity and daily life as machines become more embedded in society.
Papal responses
Leo said these warnings should be taken seriously, but he is not panicking and believes the issue should be addressed through discussion and ethical education.
Assisted dying and Church-state boundaries
Critics and concerns
Leo was questioned over whether opposing assisted dying amounted to intervening in French politics, particularly after France’s parliament passed legislation allowing it in certain circumstances.
Papal responses
Leo said his opposition was based on moral considerations and insisted that he had not crossed the boundary between Church and state.
- Speaker
- Pope Leo XIV
- Church abuse
- Leo acknowledged that the Church has at times been abusive but rejected calling sexual abuse systemic across the Church.
- Survivors
- He said abuse can deeply wound or destroy victims’ lives of faith and that the Church has a responsibility to help them seek healing.
- Artificial intelligence
- Leo said AI warnings should be discussed seriously and not dismissed as “fake news.”
- AI outlook
- He said he was not in “panic mode” about the technology.
- France visit
- The comments came as Leo returned from a four-day visit to France.
- Assisted dying
- Leo defended his opposition to assisted dying and said he had not crossed the line between Church and state.