Address of the Holy Father Leo XIV
to Members of the “International Institute of Administrative Sciences”
Blessing Hall – Friday, 28 August 2026
The EGPA Annual Conference is the flagship event of the European Group for Public Administration and stands at the core of its scientific activities.
EGPA 2026 Conferencehas beenhosted by Sapienza University in Rome from24–27 August .
The conference brings together scholars, practitioners, and early-career researchers to discuss cutting-edge developments in public administration, governance, and public policy.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Peace be with you,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to meet you at the close of your annual conference in Rome.
You are members of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences who have come from all over the world, including the Holy See.
Your Institute, which was founded in 1930, in the aftermath of the great economic crisis that the world experienced, has as its vocation to be “an unceasing appeal to the conscience of the political authorities with a view to adapting social life to the continually changing conditions of the time, so that it may carry out the intentions and plans of the Wisdom of the Creator”
(Pius XII, Address to the VIIICongress of Administrative Sciences, 5 August 1950).
The theme of your Conference, which has just ended in these days, today makes a vibrant appeal to our world, in the digital age, to maintain a balance in the use of digital technologies.
This is an appeal that is in line with the one I made in my recent Encyclical on the Protection of the Human Person in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Today, we cannot fail to face up to this reality that closely affects our way of life and permeates all levels of social life.
The speed at which innovations in artificial intelligence are developing leads us to wonder whether we will be able to control these machines in the future, whether man does not run the risk of becoming a victim of his own inventions.
One of the serious problems today is to see that decisions about human life are entrusted to machines.
In the face of this worrying situation, I welcome your meeting, which aims to reaffirm the irreplaceable nature of human intelligence in the face of these technological tools. Your reflections and work can help the authorities to make decisions in this area for the good of humanity.
Pope Leo’s “encyclical letter” (Magnifica humanitas, n. 106).
Calling for caution, rigorous controls and sometimes even a slowdown in the adoption of AI does not mean being against progress but showing responsible attention to the human family”
Therefore, it is important to develop ethics to accompany the use of these important tools, which unfortunately are concentrated in the hands of major economic and technological players and which the state is struggling to control.
We must ensure that private interests do not sacrifice the well-being of humanity.
I encourage you to continue researching ways to contribute to public administration and humanize digital technologies so they promote life and peace.
This is what Pope Francis already invited us to do when he sounded the alarm on the responsible use of these technologies, when he said that: “We have […] the duty to broaden our gaze and to direct technical-scientific research towards peace and the common good, for the service of the integral development of man and the community.”
(Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024).
Dear members of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences, I know that your mission is not easy and that sometimes discouragement can threaten you.
I pray to the Almighty to support you, so that you may continue this noble task with determination.
Upon all of you, I invoke the abundant blessings of God.
Thank you!
Pope Leo