Rome: Pope Leo XIV has called for a collective effort to combat addiction, highlighting the growing challenges faced by young people who often “withdraw into themselves” in the face of social and personal pressures. In a video message released Friday to Italy’s Seventh National Conference on Addictions in Rome, the Pope emphasized the urgent need for prevention.
While traditional addictions such as drugs and alcohol remain widespread, Pope Leo noted that new forms are emerging, particularly linked to excessive use of digital technologies. “The growing reliance on the internet, computers, and smartphones brings benefits, but it also carries risks,” he said. “Excessive engagement often leads to addictive behaviors with negative consequences for health, including compulsive gambling, pornography, and constant immersion in digital platforms.”
The Pope observed that in such cases, “the object of addiction becomes an obsession, dominating daily behavior and life itself.” These behaviors often signal underlying mental or emotional distress and reflect broader societal declines in values and guidance.
Adolescents and young adults, he stressed, are especially vulnerable, seeking purpose and direction in a world where the “market of drugs, quick money schemes, and digital dependence” fosters despair and hopelessness. “Many young people cannot distinguish between constructive and harmful choices,” he warned, underscoring the vital role of parents, schools, parishes, and youth centers in fostering spiritual and moral values that guide responsible behavior.
Pope Leo highlighted the importance of forming young people’s conscience, nurturing their inner life, and establishing positive peer and adult relationships. “Fear of the future and hesitation to commit in adult life make youth fragile,” he said. “It is essential that the Church, the State, volunteer associations, and society recognize these silent pleas for help and offer attentive, supportive presence to foster moral effort and strengthen willpower.”
The Pope stressed that prevention must be a coordinated societal endeavor. He called for policies to build self-esteem in youth, helping them navigate emotional instability and social pressures. Prevention, he said, should encompass employment opportunities, education, sports, healthy lifestyles, and attention to spiritual formation.
Concluding his address, Pope Leo urged participants to develop concrete proposals that advance “a culture of solidarity and subsidiarity,” countering selfishness and utilitarian mindsets. He encouraged a health culture oriented toward others, particularly the vulnerable, emphasizing listening, empathy, and constructive engagement.
“Let us commit ourselves ever more, together, to preventive work,” he said, “so that young people can flourish, free from the grips of addiction, and build meaningful, responsible lives.”