1 April 2024, El Paso, Texas – His Holiness, Pope Francis, dedicated his prayer intention for April to new technologies and the hope that their use “will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us face the crises of our times.”
In the world of social networks
With the growing use and preoccupation with social media trends and the fast-growing field of artificial intelligence, His Holiness has said, “Technology is the fruit of the intelligence God gave us.” However, the Holy Father warns against misusing it, which can have negative consequences.
For example, the Pope alludes to isolation problems and the absence of genuine relationships. He says, “Something’s wrong if we spend more time on our cell phones than with people.” Pope Francis cautions that the growing use of screens in any form “makes us forget that there are real people behind it who breathe, laugh, and cry.” As a result, cyberbullying and hatred begin to fester on social media networks.
He also said that technology is good and shouldn’t “benefit only a few while excluding others” because this leads to economic, social, labor, educational, and other inequalities.
Technology at the service of man
To avoid these dangers, the Pope encourages everyone to “place technology at the service of the human person” – as a means of uniting people, helping those in need, improving the lives of the sick, fostering a culture of encounter, and protecting the planet.
Technology is not meant to separate man from reality and relationships. Therefore, Pope Francis invites everyone to “look less at screens” and “look each other in the eyes more.” Balancing technology with relationships will enable us to “discover what really matters: that we are brothers, sisters, children of the same Father.”