Addictions to drugs and alcohol -- "which continue to be prevalent -- have been joined by new forms of addiction, noted Pope Leo, as the growing use of the internet has brought not only "clear benefits" but also "an excessive use that often leads to addictions."
"The object of addiction becomes an obsession, conditioning behavior and daily life," he said, addressing through a video message the participants in a National Conference on Addictions underway in Rome.
The Holy Father focused particularly on the temptation for young people, who are making "a cry for help" and showing "a deep thirst for life"; they need the Church and society "to offer an attentive and supportive presence that invites them to make an intellectual and moral effort, and helps them to forge their will."
The prevalence of so many kinds of addictions, the Pope said, shows that "we live in a world without hope, where there is a lack of vigorous human and spiritual proposals."
And yet: "Job opportunities, education, sport, healthy living, the spiritual dimension of existence: this is the path to preventing addiction."
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Here is the text of his message:
I am glad to extend my cordial greetings to those who are taking part in the Seventh National Conference on Addictions, organized in Rome by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (7 to 8 November 2025).
In recent times, alongside addictions such as drugs and alcohol, which continue to be prevalent, new forms have emerged, since the growing use of the internet, computers, and smartphones is associated not only with clear benefits, but also an excessive use that often leads to addictions with negative consequences for health, such as compulsive gambling and betting, pornography, and almost constant presence on digital platforms. The object of addiction becomes an obsession, conditioning behaviour and daily life.
These phenomena are most often a symptom of the mental or inner distress of the individual and a social decline in positive values and references, particularly in teenagers and young people. Youth is a time of trials and questions, of the search for a meaning in life and in making choices for the future. The growth of the drug market and drug use, the pursuit of easy money through slot machines, and addiction to the internet, which also includes harmful content, show that we live in a world without hope, where there is a lack of vigorous human and spiritual proposals. As a consequence, many young people think that all forms of behaviour are equal, as they are unable to distinguish good from evil and do not have a sense of moral limits.
Therefore, the efforts of parents and various educational agencies, such as schools, parishes and oratories, aimed at inspiring spiritual and moral values in the younger generation so that they behave responsibly, are to be appreciated and encouraged. Adolescents and young people need to form their consciences, develop their inner lives and establish positive relationships with their peers and constructive dialogue with adults, in order to become free and responsible architects of their own lives.
The fear of the future and of the commitments of adult life that we observe among the young makes them particularly vulnerable. Often they are not encouraged to strive for a righteous and beautiful life; they have the tendency to withdraw into themselves. State institutions, voluntary associations, the Church and society are called upon to perceive among these young people a cry for help and a deep thirst for life, to offer an attentive and supportive presence that invites them to make an intellectual and moral effort, and helps them to forge their will.
It is a matter of committing ourselves more and more, and in a concerted manner, to prevention work that translates into action by the community as a whole. As part of a policy to prevent distress in youth, it is important to boost the self-esteem of the younger generation in order to combat the sense of insecurity and emotional instability fostered both by social pressures and by the very nature of adolescence. Job opportunities, education, sport, healthy living, the spiritual dimension of existence: this is the path to preventing addiction.
I encourage all those taking part in this significant event to outline practical proposals aimed at promoting a culture of solidarity and subsidiarity; a culture that opposes selfishness and utilitarian and economic logic, but which reaches out to others, listening to them, on a journey of encounter and relationship with our neighbors, especially when they are most vulnerable and fragile.
