Pope Leo XIV Warns "use social networks and artificial intelligence with moderation...because they can project us into an unreal world" FULL TEXT to Halleluya Festival

Pope Leo XIV sent a video message on occasion of the “Halleluya Festival,” taking place in the north-eastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza, from July 22 to 26. It is an annual Catholic music festival organized by the Shalom Catholic Community, a private association of the faithful.
VIDEO MESSAGE FROM HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
ON THE OCCASION OF THE "HALLELUYA 2026" FESTIVAL
[Fortaleza (Brazil), July 22-26, 2026]
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Dear young people,

It is with joy that I participate, even if remotely, in the Halleluya Festival 2026 , an initiative that, year after year, through music, praise, and adoration, has touched the hearts of many people, bearing good fruits of evangelization: confessions, conversions, priestly and religious vocations.

Today I would like to reiterate how wonderful it is to be with young people. Your enthusiasm is contagious and awakens in all of us a renewed apostolic zeal. In my recent travels and at the Youth Jubilee , I have observed that each of you possesses an indispensable missionary vigor to transform this world, which so desperately needs the Gospel. Never lose this missionary zeal!

Indeed, it is this fervor that the Lord expects from all the baptized in proclaiming the Good News. In our day, there are still many who need to know that it is Jesus who answers their deepest desires, revealing the truth about humanity. Therefore, proclaim with courage that a life without Christ is a life without grace! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6); it is He who gives meaning to existence and to all things. This is the faith that moves us and that is worth sharing with those we love and with those who need it most.

It is possible, however, that over time the enthusiasm experienced during the celebration will fade. To keep the flame of faith alive and to bear witness to the Resurrection to our friends and all we meet, it is necessary to remain in God's presence through prayer. An authentic relationship with the Lord requires constancy, perseverance, and the firm certainty that the Heavenly Father never abandons us, but on the contrary, comes to meet us in his Son. Therefore, do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, he gives everything (cf. Benedict XVI, Holy Mass for the Inauguration of the Petrine Ministry , April 24, 2005). Whoever entrusts himself to the Savior receives a hundredfold (cf. Mk 10:29-30) and always emerges victorious. In sports, we see the joy of those who win, but also the sadness of those who lose. With Christ, we always win (cf. Rom 8:37)! The saints are proof of this.

Let us draw inspiration from the example of St. Carlo Acutis: he shows us how to always keep Christ at the center, even in the use of technology. Taking him as a model, I advise you to use social networks and artificial intelligence with moderation and discipline, because they can project us into an unreal world, where the ephemeral, mere appearances, and deception end up replacing true values ​​and what truly matters.

Dear young people, let the Holy Spirit rekindle in you a greater love, capable of transforming your youth into an evangelizing force, making each of you a living stone in the construction of the "city of peace" for which we so long, or, as Saint Augustine said, the City of God present in the midst of the city of men. Praying to God that he may strengthen you in your trials and help you to faithfully live the call to holiness, I impart my Apostolic Blessing to all the participants and organizers of the Halleluya Festival .

May God be with you always!

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L'Osservatore Romano , Daily Edition, Year CLXVI n. 169, Monday, July 27, 2026, p. 3.