The Holy See has confirmed that Leo XIV will visit the UNESCO headquarters in Paris next September, as part of his apostolic journey to France. The news was announced following the audience the Pontiff granted this Friday to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz.
According to the Holy See Press Office, the head of the international organization was subsequently received by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
The Vatican highlights the good relationship with UNESCO
During the meetings held at the Vatican, both sides emphasized the good relations existing between the Holy See and UNESCO, a cooperation that will once again take center stage with the visit Leo XIV will make to the international organization during his stay in France.
Education, artificial intelligence, and dialogue between cultures
The interlocutors also addressed various current issues of concern to both the Holy See and the international organization.
According to the official communiqué, a significant part of the conversation was devoted to the need to promote the integral development of the person through education, an issue that Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted as a priority for the Church in the contemporary world.
Likewise, the opportunities and challenges posed by the development of artificial intelligence were discussed, a topic in which the current Pontiff has shown particular interest since the beginning of his ministry.
Peace and the protection of cultural heritage
Another highlighted issue was the importance of fostering dialogue between cultures as a privileged instrument for building peace.
The Holy See and UNESCO agreed, the communiqué states, in pointing out that education for dialogue is especially necessary in an international context marked by conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and growing social fractures.
They also stressed the need to protect the cultural heritage of humanity, a recurring concern for both the Church and the international organization, especially in light of the threats arising from wars, extremism, and the deliberate destruction of cultural assets.
A new international dimension of the pontificate
Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to UNESCO will allow for an assessment of some of the priorities beginning to take shape in his international action: the promotion of human dignity through education, the ethical use of new technologies, and the defense of culture as an instrument of encounter among peoples.