Pope Leo XIV Warns Students: Don't Let Technology Control You

The 50th Anniversary of World Education

On the final day of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of World Education, Pope Leo XIV met with students in the Paul VI Audience Hall (Aula Paolo VI) on Thursday. He began the event with a speech reflecting on how happy and excited he was about this unique opportunity to reflect upon all the time he had spent teaching math to small children.

In referencing Pier Giorgio Frassati (who was recently canonized), the Pope pointed out two of Frassati’s most famous sayings: “To live without faith is not really living, but simply existing” and “To the heights.” Then the Pope added some words of encouragement to those young students: “Have the courage to live your life as you were meant to live it!”

The Pope wanted the youth to resist following trends or being superficial with their lives and to seek an increased standard of living than was available at this time. Examples of this yearning and ambition can be found in the desire many young people have to create a better community. Thus, the Pope asked them to strive toward "the heights" of their aspirations and desires.

According to Pope Leo, it is very positive when people acknowledge that you belong to a “good generation” and recognize what you’ve added to the world and the Church as a whole; however, people will not want to wait to see this become a reality. The Pope also noted that providing an education would help achieve this vision of improvement through the development of individuals and communities as lovers of God and others and by spreading good will throughout the world.

A forthcoming era of learning

In 2020, Pope Francis initiated the Global Compact on Education Project as a way of engaging youth with the ideals of promoting a sense of global brotherhood. He also informed the young audience that not only do they receive an education, but they are also active participants in their education.

The pope has called for a "new education age" where all people may have the opportunity to be witnesses of the true peace that the Gospel offers. He stated that all must work together to accomplish this. He invited those in attendance to invite their friends and to assist each other in creating a supportive community for truth and peace in the world.

To motivate and inspire learners toward completion of their assignments, Pope Leo has appealed to St. John Henry Newman's insight: 'Knowledge expands through our sharing; knowledge offers us opportunities to develop new ideas and produce a flame of reality.'

Guiding stars on the path of knowledge

Pope Francis expressed that with all of our collective actions toward one purpose - which is to be united with God - we can also achieve being one in creating educational systems which can guide us toward the ultimate destination of being united with God, much like a "star system" could lead us along a path of where we should go. As you look up at the stars tonight, consider how many people from different cultures have used the stars to guide them in their travels throughout history: voyage of discovery by sea, Pacific Islander navigation systems, South American agricultural systems, and the Magi of biblical text. Each group found the stars to be a guide for their travels.

He stated that all of us can be compared to our ancestors, who had guiding stars (parents/teachers, clergy, and friends) to help them through difficult times and when they're confused about what to do next in their lives. We can guide others when they look to us; therefore, all of us are representing a single star in the constellation of stars that exist for assisting others.

Education links diverse individuals together through experience, creating future goals and dreams, and allowing people to seek achievement at higher levels through education rather than through self-directed means; Education creates opportunities for developing new ways of thinking and seeing things regarding other cultures and people, otherwise unavailable to individuals without an educational foundation.

The spiritual dimension of education

Pope Francis stresses the importance of creating and equipping young people for a future of dignity, justice, restorative trust, and peace on Planet Earth after a period of conflict-stricken nations. Allegorically, the Pope uses this Biblical verse, "...you shall rise on eagle's wings and shall be carried on the breath of the heavens; (Ex. 19:4 - NRSVCE)", to challenge the next generation of leaders to keep their focus upwards, (at the sky), instead of remaining fixated on their devices, in order to develop their potential for greatness. While discussing his commitment to the Global Compact on Education, Pope Francis noted that an invitation to take part in the Global Compact was made by today's youth when making an initial request for all of us to support them as they mature; through educating them about their worth, (the inner life), and developing a clear sense of who they are while developing their potential.

He went on to say, "The very light of stars disappears without silence, without being able to listen, and without the possibility of praying." Some people have experienced sensations of emptiness and restlessness expressed in various ways, including violence, bullying, and oppression. However, he stated, "At the heart of these issues is a void created by a society that has lost touch with the spiritual aspect of humanity, focusing only on the technical, social, or moral aspects of existence."

St. Augustine's The Confessions detailed how we can develop our interior life by learning. We should pay attention to our feelings of restlessness and learn to deal with them instead of trying to run away from them, or fill an empty void with temporary things. According to Pope Leo, we must never get comfortable because we are meant for much greater things than this world.

Learning in the digital age

An additional contemporary challenge to education is the daily commitment of these young students to fulfil their role as the teacher (i.e. via their exposure and engagement with digital education) and the pope has mentioned that we must take care with this digital world we live in; however, it is vital that we do not allow the digital world, through its technological nature, to develop our story, or to dictate how we should think or to manipulate us.

Humanizing artificial intelligence

Pope Leo's most recent pronouncement addresses yet another social issue in our present-day society: AI, or artificial intelligence. Though he declared it possible to be "intelligent," he emphasized the vitally important obligation of using AI to express our Humanity. We must "learn to humanise digital media, in the sense of providing a place to have fraternal, creative interactions, rather than providing a place to isolate oneself through the use of digital means;" he gave the example of St. Carlo Acutis for being Holy within a society dominated by technology.

Harmony and learning

Pope Francis considers the third challenge to be peace education which he states is an important part of creating peace globally. If we wish to fix our present day issues and create a better future, then we can do this through peace education (which is education that is both non-violent and creates non-violence).

The pope said that this is not only about finding ways to silence weapons; it is about disarming our hearts and eliminating everything violent or offensive from our lives. The pontiff explained that an education that is both disarmed and disarming creates equal opportunities and development for all people and acknowledges each person’s dignity—thereby reducing the divisions in our society.

The Pope called on everyone who attended his meeting to be peacemakers in their everyday lives. He suggested they quit looking for falling stars and to "look up" to Jesus as "the light of righteousness," who will guide them always toward life.