At the beginning of the first international trip of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV expressed hope that Turkey would become a “source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace.”

Pope Leo expressed his spiritual solidarity, including prayers for the deceased and for emergency personnel.

The forum’s theme was “Artificial Intelligence and Religious Freedom: Rights, Ethics, and Innovation.” Citing remarks he had made in June, the Pontiff expressed hope “that the event may offer careful reflection to support and promote the commitment of institutions at every level, to guarantee ‘authentic religious freedom and a respective and constructive encounter between different religious communities; and that artificial intelligence may be ‘of great help to society, provided that its employment does not undermine the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms.’”

The Pope told the superiors of men’s religious institutes on November 26 that “prayer is fundamental in the existence of every consecrated person: it is the relational space within which the heart opens to the Lord, learning to ask and to receive, with trust and gratitude, his love that heals, transforms and enflames the mission.”

Although he welcomed the opportunities the digital word brings, the Pope cautioned:

I would like to emphasize that traditional instruments of communion such as Chapters, Councils, canonical Visitations and moments of formation cannot be relegated to the sphere of “remote connections.” The effort of coming together for dialogue and the exchange of ideas is an integral part of our evangelical identity.

Bishop Ivo Muser of Bolzano-Bressanone said that “the felling of the tree is not an act of disrespect, but the result of careful forest management, where tree removal is part of an active care strategy that ensures the health of the forest and control its growth.”