At UNESCO, Leo XIV Warns Against a Humanity Without Conscience, Unbuilt Peace

Pope Leo XIV, the first to speak at UNESCO since John Paul II in 1980, delivered an eleven-page speech in Paris, calling for international cooperation in education, science, and culture. He emphasized that human dignity does not depend on productivity or health and warned against dehumanization risks associated with new technologies, urging their use in service of humanity. His speech also highlighted the importance of multilateralism, education, and respecting diversity, recalling that the Holy See has been part of UNESCO since 1952, stressing the need to uphold human dignity to build a just world.