Pope Leo XIV meets Gaza students in Rome, praising Italy’s humanitarian corridor, and calls for peace amid wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a “spiral of annihilation,” as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine during a visit to Europe’s largest university.
Leo’s speech at Rome’s La Sapienza University marked the first time a pope has visited the campus since Pope Benedict XVI called off a planned speech there in 2008 in the face of protests from faculty and students. The American pope was warmly welcomed on Thursday, including by some of Sapienza’s newest students: Young Palestinians who arrived in Italy this week on a “humanitarian corridor” from Gaza to continue their studies at the university.
The Italian government, working with Catholic organizations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to study and receive medical care in Italy since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza began in 2023. RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV marks one year as first American pontiff Leo met some of the Gaza students during a brief greeting at the campus chapel, and again after his speech in the main lecture hall of the university, which was founded by Pope Boniface VIII in 1303.
In his speech, Leo denounced how military spending had increased dramatically this year, especially in Europe, at the expense of education and healthcare, while “enriching elites who care nothing for the common good. ” He called for better monitoring of how AI was being developed and used in military and civilian contexts “so that it does not absolve humans of responsibility for their choices and does not exacerbate the tragedy of conflicts.
” “What is happening in Ukraine, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, and in Iran illustrates the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation,” he said. The pope said education and research must move instead in the opposite direction that values life “the lives of peoples who cry out for peace and justice!
” Leo has identified AI as one of the most critical matters facing humanity, especially its application in warfare and everyday life. They are themes he’s expected to explore more fully in his first encyclical, due to be released in the coming weeks. RELATED STORY | Rubio faces delicate balancing act as Trump-Pope rift overshadows Rome visit Nada Rahim Jouda, 19, was one of the Gazans who met Leo, just two days after she arrived in Italy.
She was still marveling at her new life studying business science in Rome, a city that she said was “like heaven for me. ” “Everything here is green and it’s not gray and troubles everywhere and miserable people in the streets,” she said. But Jouda remains concerned for the family she left behind: her mother, recovering from leukemia, and younger sisters aged 17 and 13.
Over the course of the war in Gaza, the family was forced to move four times, and her mother was unable to receive care or check-ups for her cancer.
“They all rely on me. I’m the only hope that they have,” she said.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to Meet Pope Leo XIV in RomeChicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a trip to Rome from May 26-30 to meet Pope Leo XIV, a native of Chicago known as "Da Pope." Johnson plans to thank the pontiff for his moral clarity and support for the vulnerable, marking the first such visit by a Chicago mayor despite anticipated disagreements on some issues.
Read more »
Chicago mayor to meet Pope Leo XIV during Vatican visitAnother Illinois leader is heading to the Vatican. Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to meet Chicago-native Pope Leo XIV later this month.
Read more »
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will meet with Pope Leo XIV in Rome, office confirmsChicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will be flying to Rome later in May to meet with Pope Leo XIV, his office confirmed.
Read more »
Pope Leo XIV warns of AI and weaponry leading to global annihilationPope Leo XIV has denounced investments in AI and high-tech weaponry, warning they lead to a “spiral of annihilation.” He called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine during a visit to Rome’s La Sapienza University on Thursday. This marked the first papal visit to the campus since 2008.
Read more »