Pope Leo XIV has embraced an Argentine priest who lost his voice after a surgical complication and now speaks through an AI recreation of it.
Fr Martín Carranza, of the Archdiocese of Córdoba, addressed the Pope at Córdoba’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. It was during a meeting with clergy, seminarians and religious on the third day of the Pope’s visit to Argentina.
Fr Martin used to train men entering the priesthood at the city’s major seminary. He was left severely disabled in May 2015 after oxygen loss during what was described as a minor operation. He subsequently lost the ability to speak and has limited movement in his hands and body.
His original, pre-surgery voice was recreated using AI from recordings he had made of his earlier homilies. The initiative came from his parish priest, friends and family, alongside Radio María an international Catholic radio network. He said he now turns the texts he writes for Masses and meditations into audio in his own voice.
Held upright by another priest, he 'spoke' to the Pope through loudspeakers and asked how priests with physical limitations or serious illness should approach their mission. The Pope rose to embrace and bless him.