Pope Leo says UN risks becoming charade and warns against AI

Multilateral Dialogue and the Crisis of International Diplomacy

The first U.S. pope delivered his critique at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris. As a tense U.N. General Assembly unfolded in New York, the pontiff argued that international bodies are losing their capacity to enact meaningful change. Thousands of listeners listened from outside the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral.

“Instead of respecting the law, those in power invoke it when it serves their interests and disregard it when it restraints them, treating even justice itself as though it were a commodity to be bought and sold,” Pope Leo stated. He added that multilateral groups “are experiencing a crisis of effectiveness,” where dialogue is treated as an obstacle rather than a path toward the common good.

This diplomatic friction coincides with a turbulent United Nations General Assembly scheduled to conclude on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the total annihilation of Iran during a Tuesday speech regarding ongoing conflicts. Meanwhile, dozens of delegates walked out of the assembly hall on Thursday while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the floor.

AI Warnings and the Threat of a “Paradise of Machines”

Artificial intelligence took center stage during the pope’s visit to France, marking the first papal journey to the country in nearly twenty years. Speaking under the gilded ceilings of the Élysée Palace to French leaders, Pope Leo warned against unchecked technological advancement.

“If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a ‘paradise of machines’ invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” the pontiff told French officials. He arrived at Paris Orly airport under clear skies, greeted by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, alongside local children.

Tackling Church Standing, Abuse Accountability, and Bioethics

Beyond geopolitical critiques, Pope Leo’s whirlwind three-city itinerary aims to repair the Catholic Church’s standing in France following devastating abuse revelations. A comprehensive 2021 report revealed that approximately 330,000 French children suffered abuse by clergy and lay leaders over a span of seven decades. Local church leaders hope the visit advances ongoing safeguarding and compensation efforts.

“Leo bears the immense responsibility of ‘declaring enough is enough’,” Alain Esquerre, a spokesperson for victims at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram Catholic institution, told Reuters. The pope plans to meet with seven French survivors of clerical abuse in Lourdes on Sunday.

The papal visit occurs amid ongoing tension between religious leaders and the French government over secular laws, including the 2024 constitutional right to abortion and legislation legalizing assisted dying. Reaffirming traditional church teachings, Pope Leo expressed deep concern over profit-driven ventures involving genetic manipulation, surrogacy, human organ trade, and assisted dying for incurable illnesses.