Pope Francis delivered a deep reflection on the meaning of technological progress before a very qualified audience. Attendees were participants in a seminar organized by the Vatican. There were executives from companies like Facebook, Mozilla, representatives from NATO and even a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
The pope said the world is facing new challenges that require creativity but without losing some basic principles.
POPE FRANCIS
If technological advancement became the cause of increasingly evident inequalities, it would not be true and real progress. If mankind’s so-called technological progress were to become an enemy of the common good, this would lead to an unfortunate regression to a form of barbarism dictated by the law of the strongest.
The pope gave examples of advantages and disadvantages of technological progress. He said on one hand, advances give access to positive information. At the same time, he regretted the dissemination of fake news that, according to the pope, 'poisons' public debates.