On March 19 at the United Nations in New York, the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) convened a panel of legal, mental health, and pastoral experts to address what they call an urgent and growing crisis: the rise of internet pornography and its profound harm to women, children, and society at large.

Titled “The Scourge of Pornography in the Digital Age,” the event highlighted how technological advances, especially artificial intelligence, are enabling new forms of exploitation. The gathering aimed to shine a light on the increasing prevalence of explicit content online, its impact on youth, and the role the Church and society must play in response.