ROME — Pope Leo XIV shared a piece of personal trivia with American Catholic youth on Friday that instantly resonated with millions: he doesn’t have a single, sacred strategy for the daily word game Wordle.
“I use a different word for Wordle every day, so there’s no set starting word,” the Pope revealed at the start of a virtual Q&A, divulging a “pontifical secret” that delighted the audience at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.
The Chicago-born pontiff, who was known to be an avid Wordle player before his election, used the icebreaker to segue into a more serious hour-long discussion on technology, faith, and the future of the Church.
Speaking from the Vatican, the former Twitter user acknowledged the benefits of social media for connection but issued a firm warning. “Be intentional with your screen time,” he urged, pointing to the example of the newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis, a teen who consciously limited his screen use. “Make sure technology serves your life and not the other way around.”
Pope Leo applied the same principle of human agency to artificial intelligence, a key priority of his papacy. He called AI a powerful tool but cautioned the young crowd not to let it hinder their development.
“AI can process information quickly, but it cannot replace human intelligence,” he stated, adding with a touch of humor that drew laughter, “And don’t ask it to do your homework for you.”
By James Kisoo
