Pope Leo XIV tells youth to break free of profit and technology 'idolatry'

Pope Leo XIV used a visit to the Italian city of Rimini on Saturday to deliver a pointed message to the faithful, especially the young: free your lives from what he called the "idolatry of profit and technology" and the "business of death."

Speaking to thousands gathered at the annual Rimini Meeting, a major Catholic cultural festival organized by the Communion and Liberation movement, the Pope called on believers to "disarm technological development whenever it becomes invasive and destructive."

In his address, Leo warned that modern societies face growing threats from violence, social fragmentation, and ideologies that place self-interest above the common good. He urged the faithful to "expose unjust structures of power that lie at the root of poverty, inequality, war and environmental disasters."

"We need courageous pioneers who, by first changing course in their own lives, can make the transformation required of everyone convincing and credible," he said.

Earlier in the day, during a one-day visit that also took in the nearby Republic of San Marino, the Pope hailed the tiny state as a model of political freedom and civic responsibility. He praised its centuries-old republican traditions while cautioning against political and economic systems that put power above the human person.