Marking the 135th anniversary of Rerum novarum, Pope Leo XIV releases his first encyclical, entitled ‘Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.’ He appeals for the safeguarding of humanity, promotion of truth, dignity of work, social justice, and peace. By Isabella Piro – Vatican News
“Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” The opening words of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, summarise its underlying reasons and purpose. Published on Monday, May 25, the Pope signed the encyclical on 15 May, the 135th anniversary of the promulgation of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum novarum. Pope Leo XIV has taken up the legacy of his predecessor, writing a social encyclical which addresses one of the principal challenges of the contemporary age: artificial intelligence.
Divided into five chapters, Magnifica humanitas has an underlying premise: technology is not “a force antagonistic to humanity” (4), nor is it “inherently evil” (9). However, “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it. Therefore, Pope Leo XIV appeals for people to build “for the common good” and to “remain human,” following a courageous mentality of shared responsibility and communion, so that the world “will come to recognise the human heart as the place where God desires to dwell” (16).
Church’s social doctrineThe first chapter—“A Dynamic Approach Faithful to the Gospel” – traces the Social Doctrine of the Church in recent magisterium and the Second Vatican Council, highlighting “its dynamic character” (17). Far from being “a handbook of principles and norms to be applied,” the Church’s social teaching is rather a “theology of communion in history” (27), which guides our reading of events in light of the Gospel. Pope Leo XIV recalls the writings of his predecessors: from Pius XII – the first to use the expression “Social Doctrine of the Church” in his Apostolic Exhortation Menti Nostrae of 1950 – to Pope Francis. He recalled Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical Rerum Novarum of 1891, which “constitutes a milestone in the development of the Church’s social teaching” (30). In the years following, each successor of Peter “interpreted historical changes according to the Gospel, bringing to light different aspects of a single heritage: the dignity of the person, the value of work, the universal destination of goods, solidarity and subsidiarity, care for creation and the centrality of peace and fraternity” (45).
Safeguarding human dignity In the second chapter, Pope Leo XIV explores the “Foundations and Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church”. These foundations, he says, include the dignity of the person, created in the image and likeness of God. It is important to recall this since “the pressure of new ideologies or certain highly powerful interests” can reduce the human person to “a resource to be used and exploited” or “on what they achieve or produce” (51). On the contrary, “the fundamental dignity of each person…is neither acquired nor earned, nor does it need to be justified” (53). A second foundation of the Social Doctrine of the Church is the inviolability of human rights, among which the first is the right to life “from conception to its natural end.” In this regard, Leo XIV defines induced abortion, the killing of the innocent, and euthanasia as “choices that the Church considers gravely wrong” (55). The third foundation is the recognition of the rights of minorities, with particular attention to women. The Pope calls for “concrete decisions” in their favor regarding laws, employment, education, in social and political responsibilities, so that they may be truly heard and valued (57).
‘Gravely immoral’ to subjugate a nation
Pope Leo XIV then identifies five principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church. The first is the common good, and the Pope defines it as “the social expression of the dignity recognized in every person” (59). He forcefully affirms that “the promotion of the common good can never be separated from respect for the right of peoples to exist, to preserve their own identity and to contribute their unique qualities to the family of nations.” Therefore, he says, “any attempt or plan to eliminate or subjugate a nation is gravely immoral and therefore unacceptable” (64).
Technology must not be in the hands of a few The Pope then identifies the second principle of the “universal destination of goods.” At this point, and in other parts of the encyclical, Pope Leo XIV insists on the need to ensure that technologies are not concentrated in the hands of only a few people, thereby widening the gap between those included and those excluded from the digital revolution (67). The third principle, subsidiarity (68), requires humanity to overcome “any form of paternalistic or welfare-based management of societal life” in favor of shared responsibility. Solidarity (73), the fourth principle, is both “a principle and a virtue,” says the Pope, noting it is opposed to indifference and takes into account people and future generations.
Social justice and the ‘litmus test’ regarding migrants Social justice is the fifth principle of the Social Doctrine of the Church. In the digital age, social justice requires ensuring fair access to opportunities for all people, protecting the most vulnerable, combating hatred and disinformation, and subjecting the use of technologies to public oversight, “so that the guiding principle is not solely profit but the dignity of every person and the common good of all people” (80). Pope Leo XIV identifies migrants, refugees, displaced persons as a “litmus test” for social justice. The way society treats migrants, he says, “reveals whether its sense of justice is driven by fear or by the spirit of fraternity.” He therefore appeals for societies to protect “the rightful hopes” of those forced to leave, by ensuring them safe and legal routes, dignified welcome, and genuine paths to integration, while promoting “the right to remain” in one’s homeland in peace and security, by addressing “the root causes” of migration (81).
Abuse and the examination of conscience by the Church The Pope says these five principles should be applied not only to society, but also to the Church herself, which is called to carry out “an examination of conscience.” The Pope says living out this justice calls for “purifying ecclesial relationships and structures from distortions that give rise to inequality, lack of transparency and abuse of power.” This means to listen to the “victims of spiritual, economic, institutional, sexual and power-based abuse, as well as abuses of conscience.” This examen, he says, “is an integral part of a journey toward justice, which includes acknowledging the harm done, just reparation and taking steps to prevent it from happening again” (89).
An ethical code for AI The third chapter—Technology and Dominance. The Grandeur of Humanity in Light of the Promises of AI—stresses the need to approach artificial intelligence with vigilance. Pope Leo warns about the “technocratic paradigm” already denounced by Pope Francis and how it can require that every choice be dictated exclusively by measuring efficiency and profits (92). On the contrary, the most powerful technology is not necessarily the best. AI can imitate and simulate the person, but it does not possess a moral conscience, empathy, or affective, relational or spiritual capabilities. The Pope urges clarity about responsibilities and accountability at every stage of the development process, focusing on adequate AI policies and legal frameworks, independent oversight, and user education. Above all, Pope Leo calls for an ethical code subject to shared standards of social justice, because “a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few” (107). Nor, he adds, should the environmental impact of new technologies be overlooked, since they require large quantities of energy and water, affecting Creation (101).
Disarming AI AI must be “disarmed,” Pope Leo XIV continues, in order to free it from the mentality of military, economic, and cognitive competition. “To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern,” he says. “To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity” (110). He devotes ample space to a critique of transhumanism and posthumanism, which interpret progress as the overcoming of human limits. Instead, limitations are not defects to be eliminated, but a constitutive dimension of the human person, because it is in fragility and finitude that relationship and openness to God and to others mature. He says we must remember that “humanity flourishes not despite limitations, but often through them” (118).
Technological progress without regression of the heart Pursuing technological innovation at the expense of eliminating human limitations, he says, would cause an anthropological regression. “Humanity—in all its grandeur and woundedness—must never be replaced or surpassed,” he says. Technology can alleviate humanity’s sufferings and open new possibilities, but it must not deny the essence of humanity, which is our “capacity for relationship and love” (126). In the face of AI, says the Pope, “the true alternative is not between enthusiasm and fear, but between two paths of development: a progress that serves individuals and peoples, or a progress that subjects them to the mentality of power” (129).
An ecology of communication and the centrality of schools In the fourth chapter—Safeguarding Humanity at a Time of Transformation. Truth, Work, Freedom—the Pope calls for an “ecology of communication” based on truth. He urges transparency in how content is selected, protection of personal data, serious journalism founded on argumentation and verification, a new awareness in the “proper and critical” use of digital tools, and the integration of different forms of knowledge. The Church must also embody transparent and honest communication, especially in cases of injustice and abuse. The Pope also appeals for a renewed educational alliance, so that the “desire to ask questions” may not be extinguished in young people by perfect machines that make human thought seem useless (140). Pope Leo XIV therefore calls for renewed attention to schools as places where people learn to “seek and love the truth” (147).
The dignity of work In the “fourth industrial revolution” represented by the digital transition, the Pope emphasises the importance of protecting the dignity of work by designing systems centered on the person and not only on performance. Isabella Piro – Vatican News
