The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

06-07-2026Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

On Monday, May 25, Pope Leo promulgated his first encyclical entitled, Magnifica Humanitas, Latin for magnificent humanity, where he addresses the need to safeguard human dignity and the common good in an era of artificial intelligence, and offers recommendations for its development and use toward that goal.

In presenting the encyclical, Pope Leo indicated that it had been born out of a process of listening — to experts developing AI, political leaders, parents, teachers, and people concerned about autonomous weapons and mass data gathering.

He warns that when efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion. The pope also cites familiar concerns about AI, including job insecurity, privacy violations, ideological bias, and a futuristic vision of an “enhanced human being.” Acknowledging that the shared pursuit of verified facts is a common good, he warns that a society cannot reason together, deliberate justly, or build trust if the difference between truth and falsehood is constantly manipulated, which can obscure the lessons of history and make people more vulnerable to fear, propaganda, and control. He also gives concrete recommendations on how AI development could be better supervised by various groupings of local and international civil, religious and educational authorities.

The pope denounces ways in which AI exacerbates global inequalities citing how it’s already concentrating power and decision- making in the hands of a minority of powerful individuals. The discernment of the morality of AI cannot merely look at its various uses, but also how it’s designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in it. The document ends with a long meditation on peace, outlining five paths toward public responsibility. To read the encyclical, visit www.vatican.va. The Catholic Church has had a long history of shining the light of the Gospel on controversial issues of the day, such as artificial intelligence. May this teaching from Pope Leo serve as a helpful moral compass as the development and use of this technology continue to unfold.

God bless you!