One of Pope Francis’ last prayer intentions urged people to ‘look less at screens’

Weeks ahead of his death, Pope Francis dedicated this month’s prayer intention to new technologies and the hope that it can serve “every person, especially the weakest.” 

“How I would like for us to look less at screens and look each other in the eyes more,” Pope Francis said in a &embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vaticannews.va%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vaticannews.va&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE">prerecorded video released April 1. “Something’s wrong if we spend more time on our cellphones than with people. The screen makes us forget that there are real people behind it who breathe, laugh, and cry.”

Pope Francis died at 88 Monday morning, the Vatican announced in a statement on X, just after his appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. Pope Francis, in his 12-year papacy, often stood up for the marginalized, including migrants. And the April 1 tech-focused prayer intention was no different.

“It’s true, technology is the fruit of the intelligence God gave us,” he continued. “But we need to use it well. It can’t benefit only a few while excluding others. So, what should we do? We should use technology to unite, not to divide. To help the poor. To improve the lives of the sick and persons with different abilities.”

The pope has voiced his concerns over technology before. Last year, he warned that artificial intelligence could lock the world order in a “technocratic paradigm.” In 2023, he spoke to participants at a workshop about how tech should be considered with its moral implications.

“Use technology to care for our common home,” Pope Francis said during his April 1 intention. “To connect as brothers and sisters. It’s when we look at each other in the eyes that we discover what really matters: that we are brothers, sisters, children of the same Father. Let us pray that the use of new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us face the crises of our times.”

https://www.fastcompany.com/91320457/pope-francis-april-1-prayer-intention-technology?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Created 4mo | Apr 21, 2025, 6:40:10 PM


Login to add comment

Other posts in this group

5 ways to keep your electronic devices from overheating this summer

The summer holidays are here and many of us will heading off on trips to hot and sunny destinations,

Aug 14, 2025, 5:30:04 PM | Fast company - tech
Why Nvidia and AMD’s China pay-to-play deal with Trump could backfire

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly new

Aug 14, 2025, 5:30:02 PM | Fast company - tech
Here are the countries restricting access to WhatsApp

Russia on Wednesday became the latest country to restrict some

Aug 14, 2025, 3:10:04 PM | Fast company - tech
Synthetic data is the new AI gold rush, but critics call it ‘data laundering’

AI development is moving at a rapid pace, but it risks running headlon

Aug 14, 2025, 12:40:08 PM | Fast company - tech
5 common Amazon scams and how to avoid them

Amazon is the the most efficient, popular online retailer. So maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s a gold mine for scammers. These individuals, bless their blackened hearts, are adept at cra

Aug 14, 2025, 5:50:02 AM | Fast company - tech
Russia restricts WhatsApp and Telegram calls

Russian authorities announced Wednesday they were “partially” restricting calls in messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest step in an 

Aug 13, 2025, 8:30:08 PM | Fast company - tech
Amazon expands same-day perishable grocery delivery

Amazon is rolling out a service where its Prime members can now order their blueberries and milk at the same time as basic items like batte

Aug 13, 2025, 8:30:07 PM | Fast company - tech