Pope urges against automating war, calls for human resolution of conflicts

Pope León XIV addressed the College of Cardinals at St. Peter's Basilica during the second consistory of his pontificate, warning that "war is never dignified for man, and never blessed by God". He stressed that humanity must not use high‑tech weapons to "automate annihilation", urging that "the Creator gave us intelligence and will to resolve conflicts as human beings, not as beasts, even if equipped with hyper‑technological arms". The Pope argued that technological progress should serve humanity, not be directed toward destruction, stating "technical progress must serve humanity, not automate its annihilation". His remarks came amid ongoing global wars and growing concerns over artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons, emphasizing an ethical principle that the unity of the human family precedes individual nations.

The homily also reaffirmed the Church’s role of speaking to all people without taking partisan sides, urging a moral stance on the use of emerging military technologies.