Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has cautioned that while digital tools offer unprecedented opportunities for ministry, they must never take the place of genuine human relationships. Addressing around 160 superiors of men’s religious congregations gathered for the 104th Assembly of the Union of Superiors General (USG), the Pope underscored the need for balance as the Church navigates life and mission in a rapidly evolving digital age.
The meeting, held from November 26–28 under the theme “Connected Faith: Living Prayer in the Digital Age,” took place at the Vatican’s Synod Hall. It explored how consecrated life can embrace modern technology without sacrificing the essence of human connection and spiritual depth.
Pope Leo acknowledged that digital tools present “extraordinary opportunities” to advance communion, evangelization, and outreach. Technology, he said, enables religious communities to connect with individuals who are geographically distant or unable to physically access Church spaces.
He highlighted his own recent interaction via livestream with 16,000 young Catholics attending the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, noting how such events illustrate the potential of digital platforms to bridge global distances.
Despite these benefits, the Pope issued a strong warning against allowing online interaction to overshadow real human relationships. He emphasized the growing temptation to “replace actual human relationships with mere virtual connections,” especially at a time when people need personal presence, empathy, and deep listening.
Pope Leo stressed that foundational elements of religious life such as Chapter meetings, Councils, Canonical Visits, and formative gatherings cannot simply be transferred to digital spaces. These moments require physical presence, personal dialogue, and shared commitment.
He further warned that prioritizing efficiency and convenience in pastoral work can damage the spiritual mission of consecrated life. When religious adopt a managerial mindset, he said, they risk turning their vocation into an exhausting race rather than a journey rooted in purpose and faith.
The Pope reminded religious leaders that the heart of consecrated life lies in walking together. Drawing from Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli tutti, he urged the assembly to cultivate a sense of “we,” resisting individualism and recovering the beauty of communal life.
He described the Church as a living organism where relationships mature into “sacred ties” and become channels of grace. This vision of communion, he said, is essential for authentic synodality the shared journey of listening, discerning, and walking side by side.
Pope Leo emphasized that technology must not distract religious from the most vital relationship of all: their relationship with God. Prayer, he said, is “the relational space” where consecrated persons encounter the Lord, learn trust, and acknowledge their dependence on divine grace.
In prayer, he added, the faithful remember who they truly are creatures sustained by God’s providence.
As the Church continues to navigate digital culture, Pope Leo urged the faithful to hold together the old and the new nova et vetera embracing innovation without abandoning the timeless practices that nourish faith.
He encouraged religious to use new tools wisely while safeguarding community, contemplation, and fraternity. True discernment, he said, lies in ensuring that technology serves the mission without overshadowing authentic human presence.
In closing, Pope Leo called on consecrated men and women to cultivate real relationships both with one another and with God while courageously engaging the digital world with wisdom, creativity, and grounded spirituality.