Marking International Religious Freedom Day on Oct. 27, two U.S. bishops said rapid advances in artificial intelligence underscore the need to keep human dignity at the center of efforts to protect religious freedom.
The observance marks the Oct. 27, 1998, signing of the International Religious Freedom Act by President Bill Clinton.
Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, and Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, said in a joint statement that "millions of people continue to suffer violations of the basic human right to religious freedom, and rapidly developing technological tools, such as artificial intelligence, have the potential to expand such abuses, increasing the scope of surveillance and persecution of religious groups."
"In this era of technological change, all of society—including the private sector—is called to work together to ensure that technological tools are not used to facilitate new and intensified forms of religious discrimination," the statement said.
Zaidan chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Sample chairs the Committee for Religious Liberty.
The bishops noted Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas said the "right to religious freedom is rooted in human dignity, providing 'decisive criteria' for protecting individuals and societies. As brother bishops, we affirm that, in the age of AI, human dignity remains at the heart of defending religious freedom."
Zaidan and Sample pointed to the bishops' conference's collaboration with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom as an example of how government and faith leaders can work together to address religious freedom violations worldwide.
"This partnership is a testament to the power of joint efforts by government and faith leaders to protect this most cherished right," the bishops said.
"In this 250th year commemorating American independence, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for all of humanity, make us beacons of hope for our brothers and sisters through the world by defending religious freedom in the digital age," the bishops said.
