This morning, Friday, 5 June 2026, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in Audience, the Director-General of UNESCO, His Excellency Mr. Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, emphasis was given to the good relations between the Holy See and UNESCO, which the Holy Father is scheduled to visit in September as part of his Apostolic Journey to France.

Discussions continued with a focus on the need to promote the integral development of the human person through education. The opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence were also addressed. Above all, the importance of education in fostering dialogue among different cultures was reaffirmed as a privileged means of promoting peace, as well as the need to protect humanity’s cultural heritage.

From the Vatican, 5 June 2026