VATICAN, Rome — Pope Leo XIV has cautioned Catholic priests against relying on artificial intelligence to prepare homilies or seeking popularity on social media platforms such as TikTok, saying that neither technology nor online approval can substitute for lived faith and personal witness.
Speaking during a closed-door question-and-answer session with clergy from the Diocese of Rome, the pope said priests should resist “the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence,” according to a report published by Vatican News on February 20, 2026.
“Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die,” the pope said. “The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity.”
Faith Cannot Be Generated by Technology
The pope said that preaching is inseparable from personal belief and experience, adding that artificial intelligence cannot replicate that dimension.
“To give a true homily is to share faith,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence “will never be able to share faith.”
Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo has repeatedly addressed the implications of artificial intelligence and work. Shortly after his election last May, he told the College of Cardinals that he chose his papal name in reference to Pope Leo XIII, author of the social encyclical Rerum Novarum, written during the first industrial revolution.
Addressing priests of the Diocese of Rome, he said parishioners seek authenticity rather than polished digital content. “People want to see your faith, your experience of having known and loved Jesus Christ,” he said.
A Warning on Social Media Culture
Pope Leo also cautioned clergy against measuring their ministry through online attention, describing it as an illusion to believe that accumulating followers equates to genuine pastoral work.
“With a life authentically rooted in the Lord, one can offer something different,” he said, calling it “an illusion on the internet, on TikTok,” to think that gaining ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ amounts to meaningful witness.
“If we are not transmitting the message of Jesus Christ, perhaps we are mistaken,” he said, urging priests to reflect carefully and humbly on their mission.
He stressed that prayer must remain central to priestly life, describing it as time genuinely spent with God, not merely the rapid completion of religious obligations.
Guidance for Younger Clergy
The February 19 dialogue was introduced by Cardinal Baldo Reina, the vicar general of Rome, who presented four priests from different age groups to pose questions to the pope.
One of them, a recently ordained priest, asked how younger clergy could better support their peers.
Pope Leo urged priests to pay close attention to the realities facing young people, many of whom come from families marked by separation, remarriage or abandonment.
He said priests must accompany young people without trying to imitate them, emphasising that priestly life itself offers an important model.
“The testimony of the priest is important,” he said, describing it as a visible example of commitment and purpose.
Outreach Beyond Parish Walls
The pope encouraged clergy to look beyond those who already attend church regularly, urging them to develop initiatives that engage young people in wider community life.
“We must go ourselves, we must invite other young people, go out into the streets with them,” he said, suggesting activities centred on sport, art and culture as possible entry points.
He described loneliness among young people as an increasingly serious problem, particularly since the pandemic, noting the role of smartphones in deepening social isolation.
Genuine connection, he said, begins with “a human experience of friendship.”
Fraternity, Suffering and Pastoral Duty
Pope Leo also spoke about priestly fraternity, encouraging clergy to resist envy and cultivate friendships with one another.
He recalled an example from his hometown of Chicago, where priests met monthly for decades to pray, study and share meals.
During the session, he addressed euthanasia, saying priests must bear witness to the inherent value of life, especially amid suffering.
He added that a life understood as a journey, even one marked by illness or difficulty, can be accepted with faith.
He also urged priests not to neglect pastoral care of the sick, emphasising that while lay participation is valuable, priests themselves should remain present in administering Communion and the anointing of the sick.
The remarks offered a wide-ranging reflection on priestly life in an age shaped by technology, social fragmentation and ethical challenges, with the pope repeatedly returning to the importance of presence, prayer and personal witness.
