In June of 2024, Francis became the first Pope to attend a G7 Summit. He traveled to the Italian region of Puglia, where he spoke about artificial intelligence and the risk it can pose to human dignity.
POPE FRANCIS
We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines.
At the Summit, the Pope also held meetings with world leaders, including Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden, where the two reportedly discussed the need for a cease-fire in Gaza.
And in June, Pope Francis also had some fun. He met with a group of comedians from around the world—including notable figures like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert.
STEPHEN COLBERT
I love this Pope for all his flaws. He's a human being.
And if he thinks comedy could be part of the life of the Church and your role as a good Catholic or a good Christian, I'll think about that. I don't know how to do it. Adding dignity or respectability to comedians never helps, so I'm not gonna take it too seriously. But it was an honor.
The Pope also made a new diplomatic appointment for Archbishop Gänswein, the former private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI. Francis and Gänswein are known to have had a complicated relationship, especially since the death of Benedict. But Pope Francis decided to appoint him as his Ambassador to the Baltic countries.
And in June, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former U.S. nuncio, was back in the news as he was summoned to the Vatican by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to testify on charges of schism.
AT
