At the Vatican's first mass for Catholic influencers, Pope Leo XVI called on the world to protect human "dignity" online as it faces the "challenge" of artificial intelligence (AI).
He was speaking as thousands of young Catholics are in Rome this week for the Vatican's Jubilee of Youth - an event that takes place every 25 years - and as the Catholic Church tries to promote its message online amid a fall in church attendance.
"Nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others," the pope told young Catholic social media figures at a mass in St Peter's Basilica.
He called on the world to protect "our ability to listen and speak" in the "new era" of AI.
The Vatican is holding a two-day event bringing together what it calls "digital missionaries and Catholic influencers" from around the world in a bid to promote its presence online.
Priests, nuns and ordinary faithful who use their social media presence to preach and teach the faith are present at the event.
It is the first time the centuries-old institution is holding such an event.
Network of God
"It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts," the pope said in a speech.
"Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarisation, of individualism and egocentrism."
He added: "It is up to us – to each one of you – to ensure that this culture remains human. Our mission – your mission – is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together" in what he called the only networks that really matter: of friendship, love and the "network of God".
He also called on Catholic social media influencers to convince others to create content that will "entail seeking out those who suffer and need to know the Lord".
The first American pope was mobbed by hundreds of influencers, their mobile phones hoisted high to stream the encounter, when he arrived at St Peter's Basilica.
Since taking over the papacy in May, the pope, who is a mathematics graduate, has repeatedly warned about the dangers of AI for young people.
Additional reporting by PA.
