Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Pastor
~ A few months ago, I was delighted by a video I saw about a shelter where dogs choose their owners, rather than vice versa. As a dog lover, it made me tear up a little bit! Then I started seeing other videos about other dog shelters and videos about other animals that seemed, well, a little bit off. Only later did I realize that the video that made me cry wasn’t even real, but was made by artificial intelligence. Suddenly, I started looking a little more closely at the videos that came across my screen! Have you been fooled too? With wars, elections, and other world events happening so quickly around us, the potential for the misuse of AI is staggering! Technology is changing more rapidly than most of us can keep up with, which is why Pope Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, is so necessary and welcome, inviting the Church and the world to reflect on one of the defining challenges of our age: the rapid development of artificial intelligence and its impact on human dignity. Signed on the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, considered the first encyclical on the social teachings of the Church, the document continues the Church’s long tradition of applying the Gospel to the social questions of each generation. I have read many commentaries on the encyclical and have finally started reading it myself. I encourage all of you to read it as well! It is available for free at the Vatican website: www.vatican.va.
The title, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), expresses the Holy Father’s central conviction: every human person possesses an inherent dignity because he or she is created in the image and likeness of God. In a world increasingly shaped by technology, the Pope reminds us that our worth is not determined by efficiency, productivity, intelligence, or economic value. Human dignity is a gift from God and must always remain at the center of society’s decisions.
Pope Leo does not reject technology. It is well known that the pope plays Wordle every day! He acknowledges the many benefits that innovation can bring in healthcare, education, communication, and scientific research; yet he cautions that technology is never truly neutral. The values, priorities, and intentions of those who design and use technological systems inevitably shape their effects on society. For this reason, the Church calls for ethical reflection, public accountability, and a commitment to the common good.
A particular concern of the encyclical is the concentration of power. The Holy Father warns that AI must not become a tool that benefits only a privileged few while increasing inequality, unemployment, or social exclusion; indeed, we seem to have too much of that in our world! Instead, Leo urges governments, businesses, and communities to ensure that technological progress serves all people, especially the poor, the vulnerable, and those whose voices are often overlooked. Yes, the Church must always be primarily concerned for the least among us.
The encyclical is a timely reflection for all, but for us Catholics, it is also a spiritual invitation. It challenges us to remember what makes us uniquely human: our capacity for love, compassion, moral judgment, prayer, and relationship with God. Machines can process information, but they cannot possess conscience, grace, or the ability to have a loving relationship with the Lord. The Pope calls us to resist any temptation to reduce human beings to data points or algorithms and instead to build what the Church has long called a “civilization of love”.
I encourage you to read, discuss, and pray with the teachings of Magnifica Humanitas. The questions raised by new technologies are not merely technical issues; they are moral and spiritual questions about the kind of society we wish to build. Guided by Christ and the wisdom of the Church, may we work to ensure that every innovation serves the dignity of the human person and reflects God’s plan for humanity. Thanks be to God for Pope Leo, who is guiding the Church with wisdom and teaching with conviction and clarity! May God bless us with wisdom, courage, and charity as we navigate the opportunities and challenges of our time.
(Just for fun, and to be transparent, I used AI to help write this reflection! Some of it is my own, and I cleaned up and changed a few things, but much of it is what ChatGPT gave me with a few prompts. Next week, back to my own writing, I promise!)
