World Church · November 10, 2026
Pope Leo XIV urges Uruguayan university to prioritize human dignity over algorithms
Pope Leo XIV met with faculty and students of the Catholic University of Uruguay in Montevideo on the afternoon of Saturday, November 7, 2026. The gathering marked a significant moment for the institution, occurring more than thirty-eight years after the visit of Saint John Paul II, a time when the university was in its initial stages of development.
The Pontiff expressed deep gratitude to the educators and students for their ongoing educational work. He acknowledged their efforts in various learning communities and stages, noting that their labor serves the proclamation of the Gospel and the protection of human dignity. The Pope stated that this continuity demonstrates how Catholic education in Uruguay has become a concrete form through which the Gospel transforms into educational gestures, relationships, and culture. He emphasized that the Gospel does not age but instead renews all things.
The address was structured around the five senses, highlighting the need for the institution and its members to listen, see, taste, touch, and smell the Good News. The Pope called for careful contemplation of the surrounding reality and a commitment to the common good. He observed that humanity is currently dedicated to producing the most terrible of human works, which is war. Consequently, he urged Catholic education to help the educational community discover the importance of touch, hands, and fingers in fostering peace.
A central theme of the speech was the urgent need for school and university education to contribute to the wise use of technologies and artificial intelligence. The Pope insisted on placing the person before the algorithm and harmonizing technical, emotional, social, spiritual, and ecological intelligences. He warned of a process of dehumanization that poses a challenge to educational institutions. Citing a recent speech at the headquarters of Unesco, he pointed out the paradox of attributing intelligence to computational systems while struggling to recognize the inalienable dignity of the human person. He reiterated that no one can be rejected and called for respect for human life in all its phases.
Regarding the specific mission of Catholic education, the Pope noted that it cannot be confined to a closed circuit. Instead, it must habitually listen to families, civil society, political and administrative authorities, and representatives of productive sectors and professional categories. He affirmed that those who listen see the other as a good rather than a threat. He concluded by asking the community to continue walking, evangelizing, and contemplating the person in their totality, including body, soul, heart, conscience, intelligence, and will. He stated that it is not permitted to stop and urged them to continue walking in the one who became the Way, the Truth, and the Life.