Pope Leo XIV denies sex abuse 'systemic' in the Church, backs AI concerns says fears aren’t ‘fake news’

Pope Leo XIV has said that while the Catholic Church has been "abusive" at times, he would not call sex abuse "systemic" in the Church. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane on Monday (Sep 28) as he returned from a four-day visit to France, the pontiff also addressed rising concerns over artificial intelligence and said they should be taken seriously. However, he stressed that he is not “in panic mode” over the rapid development of the technology.

Pope says AI warnings should not be dismissed

Responding to questions about the risks posed by artificial intelligence, Leo said he was taking the issue seriously but was not alarmed. “If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode? No, I'm not. I sleep at night,” he said.

The pope argued that warnings about AI should not simply be dismissed as exaggerated claims or “fake news”. “This is a problem that I think we need to sit down and talk about,” he said. “To simply say ‘Oh, it's not going to happen’ and close our eyes to it, I think is probably not the most responsible way to go about that.”

During his France visit, Leo repeatedly warned about the need to protect humanity as AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life.

“If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” he said.

The Vatican has in recent months increased its focus on international discussions around AI governance, including its impact on areas such as nuclear technology, culture and artistic creation.

Leo addresses sex abuse in the Church

The pope was also questioned about the Catholic Church's long-running sexual abuse crisis following a meeting with victims in France. Leo said several survivors had spoken to him about “systemic abuse in the Church”. However, he said he preferred to frame the issue differently.

“Personally, I prefer to express it in a different way, although I did speak about some organisations within the church who have at times, if you will, as a system, been abusive,” he said.

He acknowledged the profound impact of abuse on victims, saying their “lives of faith are deeply wounded and sometimes even destroyed”.

“There’s a particular responsibility of the church to walk with them and to help them seek healing,” he said.

Pope defends stance on assisted dying

Leo also defended his opposition to assisted dying, insisting that his comments during the France visit were based on moral considerations rather than an attempt to intervene in French politics.

France's parliament passed legislation this year allowing assisted dying in certain circumstances.

Asked whether he had crossed the line between church and state by speaking about the issue, Leo replied: “I did not cross it.”

He said the Church's position was centred on accompanying people experiencing “sickness or disability or pain” and affirming what he described as the value of human life. “So I would say if that's politics, I did that, but it was not to get involved in French politics,” he said.