Pope Leo on Friday encouraged young people to forge authentic relationships, both with Christ and with the people in their lives.
Speaking to a conference of young people in the United States, the pope warned in particular that technology, while useful, can pose a threat when it replaces and weakens genuine human connection.
“There’s nothing that can replace true human presence, being with one another. While technology certainly can connect us, it’s not the same as being physically present. We need to use it wisely without letting it overshadow our relationships,” the pope said.
Technology is an important tool in the modern world, the pope acknowledged, helping people stay connected, pray, and share the Gospel.
But technology cannot replace authentic in-person relationships, he continued.
“Simple things — a hug, a handshake, a smile. All those things are essential to being human, and to have those things in a real way, not through a screen.”
“As Catholics, we often pray together, remembering Jesus promised that when two or more gather in his name, he is with them. The early Church experienced powerful moments of Jesus’ presence when they prayed together. Watching Mass online could be helpful, especially when someone is sick or elderly or cannot attend in person. But actually being there, taking part in the Eucharist is so important for our prayer, for our sense of community. It’s essential for our relationship with God and with each other.”
Leo encouraged young people to follow the example of the recently canonized St. Carlo Acutis, who was skilled with computers and used that talent to foster faith, while also exercising discipline and limiting his time on electronic devices, ensuring that he made priorities of prayer and service to others.
“My friends, I encourage you to follow the example of Carlo,” the pope said. “Be intentional with your screen time. Make sure technology serves your life and not the other way around.”
Pope Leo took part in a video discussion with participants at the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference on November 21.
He answered questions from five young people attending the conference. The questions included topics such as struggling to accept God’s mercy and the role of the youth in the future of the Church.
Quoting Pope Francis and Pope Benedict in his comments, the pope encouraged young people to pray about their vocations, to frequent the sacraments, and to be persistent in prayer despite distractions.
He urged them to avoid political labels in reference to the Church and the faith, saying, “The Church doesn’t belong to any political party. Rather, she helps form your conscience.”
The first American pope, who has made headlines for continuing to play Wordle with his brother daily since his election to the papacy, also revealed that he uses a different starting word each day on the popular online game.
Several questions during the video discussion with young people dealt with the role of technology in the modern world, and how Christians should respond to it.
One participant asked the pope’s advice on approaching artificial intelligence.
Leo responded by encouraging young people to foster the ability to think critically and search for truth, beauty, and goodness, and to strengthen their wills with God’s grace so they have the freedom to choose good and not harm.
“Using AI responsibly means using it in ways that help you grow, never in ways that distract you from your dignity or your call to holiness in your education,” he said.
He also cautioned that while AI may be able to process information quickly, it has limitations and can never replace human intelligence.
“It cannot offer real wisdom. This is a very important human element. AI will not judge between what is truly right and wrong. And it won’t stand in wonder, in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation,” he said.
“So be prudent, be wise. Be careful that your use of AI does not limit your true human growth. Use it in such a way that if it disappeared tomorrow, you would still know how to think, how to create, how to act on your own, how to form authentic friendships.”
“Remember, AI can never replace the unique gift that you are to the world,” the pope emphasized.
Pope Leo encouraged daily practices of prayer and silence to foster an authentic relationship with Christ.
“Jesus does not just understand our struggles from a distance. He actually wants us to hand them to him because he loves us,” he said. “And that kind of trust starts when we have a real relationship.”
“We cannot give our problems to someone who we barely know. Think of your closest friends. For example, if they were hurting, you would talk to them, you would listen to them, you would stay close. Our relationship with Jesus is similar. He knows when life feels heavy, and Scripture reminds us that he is near to the broken hearted. Even when we do not feel his presence, our faith tells us that he is there,” he said.
“That is why daily moments of silence are so important, whether through adoration, reading scripture, talking to him, looking for those little spaces of time where we can be with him little-by-little, we learn to hear his voice, to feel his presence, both within and through the people that he sends to us.”
The pope also encouraged young people to seek out authentic friendships. A good friend, he said, is “someone who helps you grow closer to Jesus, someone who encourages you to become a better person. Good friends also push us to seek help when life gets difficult or confusing. Good friends will always tell us the truth, even when that’s not easy to do.”
Leo pointed to St. Augustine, who discovered that his desire for greatness was really a desire for Christ, who yearns to be known by each human person.
He stressed that young people are not just the Church’s future, but its present as well.
“Now is the time to dream big. Be open to what God can do through your lives,” he said.
