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Appeal of the Presidents of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States, with the support of the President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, on the Occasion of the G­7 Summit

On the occasion of the G7 Summit held in France in 2026, we, the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of the G7 member states, with the support of the President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, wish to address a united message to the Heads of State and Government, inspired by the Gospel and by the social teaching of the Church. Amid armed conflict, geopolitical fragmentation, the crisis of multilateralism, growing inequalities, climate disruption and accelerating technological change, we affirm that the dignity of the human person must remain the foundation of political and economic governance. The G7 bears a particular responsibility for the global common good. The decisions taken by member states have direct consequences for peoples, for international stability, and for the future of younger generations.

With this appeal, as pastors of our churches and disciples of Jesus Christ, we, the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of the G7 member states, wish to place our Churches’ capacity for dialogue, mediation, and accompaniment for the most vulnerable at the service of peace and the international community.

1. Reaffirming multilateralism and the primacy of international law

As geopolitical tensions mount and the international order continues to erode, we call upon G7 states to reaffirm their commitment to genuine multilateralism, grounded in international law, cooperation among nations, and respect for human dignity.

Lasting peace cannot be guaranteed by the logic of power, the arms race, or rival force. International institutions remain indispensable for preventing conflicts, protecting civilian populations, and promoting justice among peoples. The G7 countries must help to strengthen these institutions so that they might better serve the global common good.

We call upon G7 member countries to lead the way towards reconciliation among peoples through dialogue, negotiation and mutual respect. The conflicts currently afflicting Ukraine, the Holy Land, Sudan, South Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sahel and so many other regions of the world starkly remind us of the urgent need for a renewed commitment to peace.

We also reaffirm the importance of upholding international humanitarian law, protecting civilian populations, safeguarding religious freedom, and respecting the dignity of prisoners of war and the displaced. Children, families and religious minorities are often the worst victims of conflict: their protection must be an absolute priority.

Churches and religious communities can help rebuild trust, accompany those wounded by war, and create the social and moral conditions for lasting peace. Through its local presence, humanitarian commitment, and capacity to build bridges among peoples, the Catholic Church remains a credible partner for peace and dialogue.

2. Placing the human person at the heart of development and international solidarity

Recent reductions in official development assistance in several G7 countries are a matter of grave concern. As humanitarian needs grow across the world, millions of people are seeing their access to food, healthcare, education and protection eroded. We call upon G7 states to renew their commitment to international solidarity and to an equitable partnership with countries of the Global South. Development policies must focus above all on poverty reduction, food security, access to education and health care, and the protection of the most vulnerable.

We also encourage peoples to listen more attentively to one another, for the building of peace, justice and international fraternity depends on the ability to develop concrete processes, forms of dialogue and participation that make possible a genuine culture of encounter.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals must remain a shared frame of reference. We encourage industrialised countries to maintain development funding in line with their international commitments and to ensure that the cost of new strategic priorities is not borne by the most vulnerable populations.

International trade and economic partnerships, particularly in the field of critical minerals and natural resources, must be grounded in equity, respect for the rights of local populations, decent working conditions, and environmental protection. Development cannot be built at the cost of human exploitation or the irreversible degradation of our common home.

We also call for strengthened international cooperation in the fight against organised crime, human trafficking, illicit trade, corruption, and illicit financial flows that undermine societies and fuel violence.

In this area, we recall that repression alone is not sufficient. The fight against drug trafficking and criminal networks requires effective, fair judicial systems that respect human dignity, as well as an awareness of collective responsibility, including within consumer societies.

3. Protecting children and young people in the digital age

Technological change and the rapid development of artificial intelligence open new possibilities for education, health care and the sharing of knowledge. Yet these innovations also carry significant risks, particularly for children and young people.

We call upon G7 leaders and technology companies to establish clear international rules so that new technologies serve the human person and the common good.

Such a call for a human and democratic governance of artificial intelligence echoes the recent teaching of Pope Leo XIV. As he writes in his encyclical[i]: “Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of “armed” competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon. This entails a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance. To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern. To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity. It means freeing technology from monopolistic control and opening it to discussion and debate, therefore making it human-friendly and restoring it to the plurality of human cultures and ways of life. Our task today is not only ethical or technical. It is ecological in the deepest sense, for it concerns a new dimension of our common home.

AI is already an environment in which we are immersed, as well as a force with which we must engage. For this reason, merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarmed, welcoming and accessible.”

This reflection invites us to consider artificial intelligence not only as a set of tools to be regulated, but as an environment already shaping human relationships, access to knowledge, the exercise of freedom, and democratic participation. As such, its governance must be directed toward the common good, justice, transparency, and inclusion.

Artificial intelligence must remain under human control and be governed by clear ethical principles. Technological innovations must never lead to the dehumanisation of social relations or to the automation of decisions that affect human life. We support the Holy See’s call for an ethical governance of artificial intelligence and for heightened vigilance regarding the military uses of autonomous systems.

We also encourage G7 states to promote education in dialogue and respect for religious and cultural differences, and to embrace a pedagogy of joyful remembrance as a leaven for a peaceful future.

4. Assuming a shared responsibility towards creation and displaced peoples

The global ecological crisis disproportionately affects the poorest populations and future generations. Climate disasters, ecosystem degradation, water shortages, and food insecurity are intensifying social tensions and driving forced displacement.

We call upon G7 states to commit to bold and verifiable measures to accelerate a just ecological transition, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expand renewable energy and support the most vulnerable countries in facing the consequences of climate change.

The protection of our common home is not only an environmental necessity but also a requirement of justice. The most industrialised countries bear a special responsibility in view of their level of resource consumption and their historical contribution to global warming.

We also recall that migrants and refugees must always be received with dignity, while recognising the legitimate responsibility of states to safeguard the common good. Those forced to flee war, persecution, poverty or climate disasters cannot be regarded as a threat. They are our brothers and sisters in humanity.

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille,
President of the French Bishops’ Conference

Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo,
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna,
President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City,
President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster,
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière,
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley,
President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

Bishop Heiner Wilmer of Hildesheim,
President of the German Bishops’ Conference

With the support of

Bishop Mariano Crociata of Latina (Italy),
President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union

[i]  Leo XIV. Magnifica humanitas: On safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence (§ 110). Holy See. 2026.