Pope Leo XIV admitted science and technology are influencing “the way we live in the world” in a speech on Tuesday to “Influencers and Digital Missionaries” in Rome for a special 2025 Jubilee event specially organized for them.

In the 21^st century, the digital age has grown significantly, with millions of people listening to podcasts and watching videos on websites like YouTube and Facebook. Many of them are speaking about Catholicism, and the Vatican invited many of them to Rome for the jubilee.

The pope said the world needs peace “in these times marked by hostility and war,” and this is the mission given to modern digital missionaries.

“You are here to renew your commitment to nourish Christian hope in social networks and online spaces,” Leo said.

“Peace needs to be sought, proclaimed, and shared everywhere, both in the places where we see the tragedy of war and in the empty hearts of those who have lost the meaning of life and the desire for introspection and the spiritual life,” he added.

“Perhaps, today more than ever, we need missionary disciples who convey the gift of the Risen Lord to the world; who voice to the ends of the earth the hope that Jesus gives us; and who go wherever there is a heart that waits, seeks, and is in need. Yes, to the ends of the earth, to the farthest reaches, where there is no hope,” the pope said.

He said there is another challenge in the mission of modern internet “influencers.”

“Always look for the ‘suffering flesh of Christ’ in every brother and sister you encounter online. Today we find ourselves in a new culture, deeply characterized and formed by technology. It is up to us – to each one of you – to ensure that this culture remains human,” Leo said.

“Science and technology influence the way we live in the world, even affecting how we understand ourselves and how we relate to God and others. But nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others. Our mission – your mission – is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together. This is the beauty of the ‘network’ for us,” he explained.

The pontiff said the Church, faced with cultural changes throughout history, has never remained passive – “she has always sought to illuminate every age with the light and hope of Christ by discerning good from evil and what was good from what needed to be changed, transformed, and purified.”

“Today we are in a culture where the technological dimension is present in almost everything, especially as the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence will mark a new era in the lives of individuals and society as a whole,” Leo said.

“This is a challenge that we must face: Reflecting on the authenticity of our witness, on our ability to listen and speak, and on our capacity to understand and be understood. We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking and a language, of our time, that gives voice to Love,” he added.

He warned the “influencers” their activities are not simply a matter of generating content, “but of creating an encounter between hearts.”

“This will entail seeking out those who suffer and need to know the Lord, so that they may heal their wounds, get back on their feet and find meaning in their lives.,” Pope Leo said. “Above all,” Leo said, “this process begins with accepting our own poverty, letting go of all pretense and recognizing our own inherent need for the Gospel.”

“And this process is a communal endeavor,” Leo said.

Leo cautioned against forgetting real friendship, telling participants not to focus on the number of “followers” they might have, and instead to “experience the greatness of infinite Love in every encounter; networks that give space to others more than to ourselves, where no ‘bubble’ can silence the voices of the weakest.”

Leo called on them to establish networks “that liberate and save; networks that help us rediscover the beauty of looking into each other’s eyes; networks of truth.”

“In this way, every story of shared goodness will be a knot in a single, immense network: the network of networks, the network of God,” the pope said.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome