Pope Francis cautioned about the risk of new technology overshadowing ‘personal connections’ in recent weeks.

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88. As the first Latin American pontiff, he was known for his progressive ideals within a traditionally conservative institution, advocating for both social and economic justice. In the weeks leading up to his passing, Pope Francis shared an important and forward-thinking message regarding new technology. “How I would like for us to look less at screens and look each other in the eyes more!” he expressed in a video message translated from his native Spanish. “Something’s wrong if we spend more time on our cell phones than with people.” This reflective prayer concerning technology was uploaded just three weeks prior to his death.

Pope Francis’s message was part of the Pope’s “Monthly Intentions” for 2025, a practice where he invited people worldwide to join him in prayer on a specific topic each month. April’s intention, the last before his passing, was centered on new technology. The intention outlined in his Worldwide Prayer Network specifically addressed artificial intelligence, video calls, smartphones, and general screen time.

“It’s true, technology is the fruit of the intelligence God gave us but we need to use it well,” Pope Francis remarked during his April video address. “It can’t benefit only a few while excluding others.” In his message, he called for technology to “unite, not to divide,” emphasizing its role in aiding the poor, the sick, and individuals with diverse abilities. In alignment with his environmentally-conscious messaging throughout his papacy, Pope Francis also urged the use of technology to “care for our common home” and foster connections with one another.

Ironically, many social media users echoed Pope Francis’s point about technology immediately following his passing, albeit unintentionally. The news prompted an influx of memes on social networking platforms, often referencing the 2024 film *Conclave*, which depicts the secretive meetings of Cardinals following a pope’s death. Others made light of the fact that Vice President JD Vance was among the last individuals to meet Pope Francis on Easter Sunday. “The screen makes us forget that there are real people behind it who breathe, laugh, and cry,” he noted.

In that April prayer on new technology, Pope Francis expressed his hope that “technology does not replace ‘person-to-person’ contact, that the virtual does not replace the real, and that social networks do not replace social settings.” He concluded, “Let us pray that the use of new technologies will not overshadow human relationships, will respect the dignity of individuals, and will assist us in facing the crises of our times.”