“Magnifica humanitas”

The widely anticipated release of Pope Leo XIV’s first papal encyclical took place on Monday, May 25. The document, entitled “Magnifica humanitas” (“Magnificent humanity”), was signed on May 15, the 135th anniversary of one of the most consequential papal encyclicals, Pope Leo XIII’s “Rerun novarum” ("On Capital and Labor"). Comparisons have already been drawn between the two documents, which address the consequences of monumental changes to the human workspace. “Rerum novarum” looked at the impact of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and helped define Catholic social teachings, and “Magnifica humanitas” draws attention to the exploding field of artificial intelligence (AI). “Magnifica humanitas” is a lengthy document and can be accessed via the Holy See link in the References. At a unique event held this past Monday, Pope Leo himself provided commentary on the encyclical, and those comments can also be found in the References. There has already been voluminous commentary on the document in the lay and Catholic press, and one such review is the Aleteia article linked below. The chapters of the encyclical are as follows: Introduction: Two cities, one choice Chapter 1: A living tradition Chapter 2: The principles that don’t change Chapter 3: What AI is, and what it isn’t Chapter 4: Truth, work, and freedom Chapter 5: The Civilization of Love Conclusion: Nehemiah’s lesson There are two quick take-aways from reports on the encyclical. First, the pope uses two stories from the Bible to provide opposing images regarding the choices to be made regarding the future development of AI. The first is the story of the Tower of Babel, a grand project whose “result is not unity, but dispersion”. The second is that from the Book of Nehemiah, where the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Nehemiah is “slow, communal, and rooted in God”. Secondly, Pope Leo calls for AI to be "disarmed" (a term he adds is an “expression…which is close to my heart”). Here, disarmament is meant to encourage the future development of AI to be “freed from the logic of geopolitical and commercial competition, from monopolistic control, and returned to the plurality of human cultures”. There is sure to be much discussion about the encyclical as everyone has time to digest and interpret its goals and intent. The reader is encouraged to review the References and delve into a subject that is shaping our future. REFERENCES: Daniel Esparza, www.aleteia.org, May 25, 2026, What ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ says, simply explained (with surprises) The Holy See website, www.vatican.va, May 15, 2026, The Encyclical Letter “Magnifica humanitas” The Holy See website, www.vatican.va, May 25, 2026, Presentation and promulgation of the Encyclical Letter “Magnifica humanitas” Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search