A Shepherd's Message - June 9, 2026

On May 25, Pope Leo XIV promulgated his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence”). This encyclical responds to the rapid growth and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in our world. The Holy Father says that we face “a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” I would like to share some excerpts of the letter, which reveal Pope Leo’s solution to the pivotal choice we face. 

• “Like the natural environment, the ‘digital ecosystem’ can be preserved or exploited, shared or monopolized. Solidarity demands that decisions regarding data, algorithms, platforms and artificial intelligence take into account not only the immediate benefit for a few, but also the impact on all peoples and on future generations.” (#76) 

• “In one sense, technological innovation can represent human participation in the divine act of creation. Developers, therefore, bear a particular ethical and spiritual responsibility, for every design choice reflects a vision of humanity.” (#111) 

• “For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change.” (#128) 

• “Those who control digital platforms and means of communication have a considerable ability to affect the collective imagination and to present a particular vision of reality as desirable. Such power should be constantly guided by the pursuit of truth and respect for human dignity, so that the culture fostered on the internet does not become an instrument of excessive distraction, homogenization or dominance, but rather a setting in which inner freedom and critical thought can mature.” (#136) 

• “Our first task is neither to demonize nor idolize technological tools, but to utilize them on the basis of a fundamental principle, namely that truth is a common good and not the property of those with power or influence. We must therefore promote an ecology of communication.” (#137) 

• “We must learn, then, how to exercise restraint in the use of AI and to protect our young people from the promise of the perfect machine, from that subtle temptation which renders human thought seemingly superfluous precisely when it is most needed.” (#140) 

• “In the short term, it may seem advantageous to reduce labor costs or maximize financial efficiency, but in the long term, this undermines the very foundations of social coexistence. While technological successes are celebrated, the social fabric is progressively eroded, as if by a silent virus.” (#166) 

• “No algorithm can make war morally acceptable. AI does not remove the intrinsic inhumanity of conflict; indeed, it can only bring about conflict more quickly and render it more impersonal, lowering the threshold for resorting to violence, transforming defense into threat prediction and thus reducing victims to data.” (#198) 

• “Even in the darkest nights, the Lord raises up men and women who refuse to give up, who persevere in doing good, who protect the vulnerable and open pathways to reconciliation. The memory of the saints, righteous people and the oft-forgotten peacemakers, shows us that grace does not magically eliminate conflict, but instead it inspires active resistance to evil and an astonishing creativity in doing good.” (#211) 

• “We all need to learn how to engage with the digital world in a human way, as an integral part of our education in the faith and in a life lived according to the Gospel. Indeed, we must consider the digital world as a new continent to be evangelized, one that requires generous missionaries who are mature in the faith.” (#238) 

I encourage everyone to read this encyclical in its entirety. I am grateful for the Holy Father reminding us that technological innovation must always serve the dignity of every person and the common good of society. He invites us to examine how we use these tools so that they uplift humanity and never serve only limited and selfish interests.

Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, may we help build a society that shows the compassion and love of Jesus Christ to all of our brothers and sisters, and places God, our Heavenly Father, at the center.