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

Creato 4mo | 21 apr 2025, 18:40:10


Accedi per aggiungere un commento

Altri post in questo gruppo

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 

13 ago 2025, 20:30:08 | 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

13 ago 2025, 20:30:07 | Fast company - tech
Most people are using ChatGPT totally wrong—and OpenAI’s CEO just proved it

How did you react to the August 7 release of GPT-5, OpenAI’s latest version of ChatGPT? The company behind the model h

13 ago 2025, 18:20:04 | Fast company - tech
This mine feeds the tech world and fuels a rebel war

Under the watchful eye of M23 rebels in the hills around the Congolese town of Rubaya, a line of men in rubber boots ferry sacks full of crushed rocks up winding paths cut into the slopes.

13 ago 2025, 18:20:03 | Fast company - tech
This free web timer puts your computer’s Clock app to shame

For something as simple as setting a timer, the built-in apps on our computers can be awfully fiddly.

Usually you have to open a Clock app first, then navigate to a separate tab for time

13 ago 2025, 11:20:08 | Fast company - tech
Is agentic AI more than hype? This company thinks it knows how to find out

Over the past five years, advances in AI models’ data processing and r

13 ago 2025, 11:20:06 | Fast company - tech
How AI can finally fix prior authorization

If you’ve ever been a patient waiting—days, sometimes more than a week—for treatment approval, or a clinician stuck chasing it, you know what prior authorization feels like. Patients sit in limbo,

13 ago 2025, 11:20:04 | Fast company - tech