Pope Leo XIV’s Upcoming UNESCO Visit Revives Memories of John Paul II’s Historic 1980 Address
More than four decades after Pope John Paul II delivered a landmark address at UNESCO, Pope Leo XIV is preparing to visit the organization’s headquarters in Paris, bringing renewed attention to the long-standing relationship between the Holy See and the UN agency responsible for education, science and culture.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit UNESCO on September 25, 2026, during his apostolic journey to France. UNESCO describes the event as the first papal visit to its headquarters in more than 40 years, since John Paul II’s historic appearance in 1980.
The upcoming visit has also prompted UNESCO to revisit its photographic archives from John Paul II’s earlier appearance. Newly digitized photographs are helping bring the historic 1980 event to a wider audience and preserve visual records of an important moment in the organization’s history.
A Historic Address in 1980
On June 2, 1980, Pope John Paul II addressed the international community at UNESCO during his first official visit to France.
His speech focused heavily on the relationship between culture and education and their importance to human development and dignity. UNESCO describes the address as a landmark reflection on the place of culture, education and the dignity of the human person.
The 1980 visit also reflected the broader relationship between the Holy See and UNESCO. The Holy See has held Permanent Observer status at the organization, allowing it to participate in UNESCO’s General Conference and its work without being a member state.
Leo XIV to Focus on AI, Education and Human Dignity
The context of Pope Leo XIV’s visit is markedly different from that of 1980, with artificial intelligence and rapidly changing digital technologies now occupying a central place in global discussions about education, culture and society.
UNESCO says the September 25 visit will include discussions connected to artificial intelligence, information integrity, education and artistic creation in the age of AI. Pope Leo XIV is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address during the official ceremony.
The visit is scheduled to begin at UNESCO headquarters at 3 p.m. local time, with a bilateral meeting between the Pope and UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany followed by a visit through the headquarters and an exhibition of UNESCO artworks. The official ceremony and address are scheduled for 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Technology and the Human Person
Artificial intelligence is expected to be an important element of the discussions surrounding the visit.
UNESCO has developed international guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence, including its Recommendation on the Ethics of AI adopted in 2021. The organization says more than 70 countries are already using the recommendation to strengthen their legal frameworks.
The discussion places a modern technological question alongside a much older concern: how societies can ensure that technological and scientific progress remains connected to human dignity, education and cultural development.
That connection gives the upcoming visit a historical dimension. John Paul II spoke at UNESCO at a time when the world was navigating major political, cultural and technological changes. Leo XIV will address an international audience during another period of rapid transformation, this time dominated in part by artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
A Relationship Spanning Decades
The Holy See’s relationship with UNESCO predates John Paul II’s 1980 appearance. UNESCO records that the Holy See’s formal Permanent Observer relationship began in 1952, when Angelo Roncalli—later Pope John XXIII—was named the first Permanent Observer.
The relationship has continued through subsequent papacies. Pope Francis addressed UNESCO on several occasions, including a 2021 video message marking the organization’s 75th anniversary. His engagement also included cooperation surrounding education, cultural heritage and the reconstruction of Mosul.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit will therefore represent another chapter in a relationship that has developed around education, culture, science, peace and human development.
From 1980 to the Age of AI
The contrast between the two papal visits is particularly notable.
In 1980, the central themes highlighted by UNESCO included culture, education and the dignity of the human person. In 2026, those subjects remain relevant, but they are being considered alongside artificial intelligence, information integrity, digital platforms and emerging technologies.
UNESCO’s programme for the day will also include a morning youth forum examining artificial intelligence, education, creativity and human agency. Young people, researchers, artists and other participants are expected to contribute to discussions about the future of technology and society.
The digitization of photographs from John Paul II’s 1980 visit provides a visual link between these two moments. As Pope Leo XIV prepares to enter the same institution more than four decades later, UNESCO is using its historical archive to connect its past conversations about human dignity and education with today’s debates over technology and the future of humanity.
The upcoming visit thus brings together history and contemporary global challenges, placing education, culture and human dignity alongside one of the defining technological developments of the modern era.
