Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has warned that gambling is destroying families and weakening social bonds, urging local leaders to promote genuine human relationships to fight loneliness and social breakdown.

Pope was speaking on Monday during a meeting with mayors from across Italy at the Vatican. The delegation represented the National Association of Italian Local Authorities. Addressing the gathering, Pope Leo said towns and cities in Italy are facing serious challenges, including a demographic crisis, the struggles of families and young people, loneliness among the elderly, the silent suffering of the poor, environmental pollution, and growing social conflicts.

He stressed that solutions must begin with listening to the voices of the weak and the poor. Without this, he warned, democracy risks becoming empty and lifeless, reduced to a formality rather than a living reality.

During his address, Pope Leo drew special attention to what he called the scourge of gambling. He said gambling has ruined many families and has increased sharply in Italy in recent years. Referring to a Caritas report, the Pope noted that gambling has become a serious problem affecting education, mental health, and trust within society.

 Pope described gambling as a form of loneliness and urged public authorities to respond by encouraging authentically human relationships among citizens. He said social policies should focus not only on infrastructure but also on rebuilding bonds between people.

Quoting Italian priest and social thinker Don Primo Mazzolari, Pope Leo said Italy needs more than roads, houses, and public works. It also needs a renewed way of living together, looking at one another with dignity, and coming together as brothers and sisters.

Reflecting on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, observed the previous day,  Pope spoke about the killing of children by King Herod as an example of inhuman power that ignores the value of human life. In contrast, he said the birth of Jesus reveals the true meaning of power as responsibility and service rooted in love.

Pope Leo concluded by encouraging local leaders to place human dignity at the center of public life and to work for communities where no one feels alone or forgotten.