On the International Day of Mathematics, Pope Leo XIV sent a message inviting reflection on the role good mathematics can play in today\u2019s world.<\/p>\n
In a message conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that mathematicians can become \u201csigns of hope for the world,\u201d particularly in a context marked by rapid technological advancements and challenges facing humanity.<\/p>\n
The pope\u2019s message was addressed to the Turkish mathematician and university professor Bet\u00fcl Tanbay, chair of the International Day of Mathematics, which was observed March 13. <\/p>\n
Tanbay had informed the pontiff of a webinar dedicated to the theme \u201cMathematics and Hope.\u201d In response, the pope sent a letter extending his cordial greetings and best wishes to all participants in the initiative.<\/p>\n
In the text, Leo XIV invited reflection on the role that mathematics can play in the face of \u201cthe multiple challenges confronting the human family,\u201d citing rapid technological development, with all its potential \u201cfor both good and evil.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pontiff encouraged participants to consider how mathematicians can offer a positive witness to society. \u201cA particularly fruitful area of \u200b\u200bresearch is the use of algorithms, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
However, the pope emphasized that work in these fields demands something more than technical competence. As he pointed out, this task requires \u201cnot only intellectual effort and ingenuity but also the integral growth of the whole person,\u201d capable of taking into account the moral dimension of emerging technologies.<\/p>\n
Recalling his own experience as a mathematics and physics teacher, Leo XIV quoted words he addressed to students during the Jubilee of the World of Education, held on Oct. 30, 2025: \u201cPossessing vast knowledge is not enough if we don\u2019t know who we are or what the meaning of life is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Along these lines, the pontiff expressed his hope that participants would be attentive \u201cto the profound spiritual needs of the human heart\u201d and seek ways to humanize the digital realm so that it may become an opportunity for fraternity and creativity.<\/p>\n
Likewise, he encouraged mathematicians to be \u201cprophets of hope, truth, and goodness in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The message concluded with a prayer from the pope for all participants in the International Day of Mathematics, upon whom he invoked \u201cabundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV\u2019s mathematical background<\/p>\n
Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, graduated in 1977 from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics alongside studies in philosophy. This preceded the beginning of his theological studies upon his formal entry into the Augustinian novitiate that same year.<\/p>\n
During his time at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Prevost combined his religious formation with teaching: He taught mathematics part time at Mendel Catholic High School in Chicago and worked occasionally as a substitute physics teacher at St. Rita of Cascia High School.<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n