Mathematicians can become ‘signs of hope for the world,’ Pope Leo XIV says

In a message conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that mathematicians can become “signs of hope for the world,” particularly in a context marked by rapid technological advancements and challenges facing humanity.

The pope’s message was addressed to the Turkish mathematician and university professor Betül Tanbay, chair of the International Day of Mathematics, which was observed March 13.

Tanbay had informed the pontiff of a webinar dedicated to the theme “Mathematics and Hope.” In response, the pope sent a letter extending his cordial greetings and best wishes to all participants in the initiative.

In the text, Leo XIV invited reflection on the role that mathematics can play in the face of “the multiple challenges confronting the human family,” citing rapid technological development, with all its potential “for both good and evil.”

The pontiff encouraged participants to consider how mathematicians can offer a positive witness to society. “A particularly fruitful area of ​​research is the use of algorithms, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,” he noted.

However, the pope emphasized that work in these fields demands something more than technical competence. As he pointed out, this task requires “not only intellectual effort and ingenuity but also the integral growth of the whole person,” capable of taking into account the moral dimension of emerging technologies.

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: “Possessing vast knowledge is not enough if we don’t know who we are or what the meaning of life is.”

Along these lines, the pontiff expressed his hope that participants would be attentive “to the profound spiritual needs of the human heart” and seek ways to humanize the digital realm so that it may become an opportunity for fraternity and creativity.

Likewise, he encouraged mathematicians to be “prophets of hope, truth, and goodness in the world.”

The message concluded with a prayer from the pope for all participants in the International Day of Mathematics, upon whom he invoked “abundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.”

Pope Leo XIV’s mathematical background

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.

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.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.