Catholic News

The Vatican Museums and the Archdiocese of Sydney have launched an immersive experience of the Sistine Chapel in Sydney, Australia.

The exhibit will enable visitors to experience Michelangelo's world-famous Renaissance frescoes beyond the Vatican ahead of the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028.

A conference was held in Rome on May 22 to celebrate the initiative "Sistine Chapel Revelations: An Immersive Exhibition."

Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums; Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney; and Australian Ambassador to the Holy See Keith Pitt, among others, attended the conference.

Human capability at its best

Fisher called the Sydney exhibit a valuable chance for visitors to see one of the Church's masterpieces of art without traveling to Rome. He praised the exhibit's evangelizing power and ability to help visitors understand the art's mysteries in ways "even the most devoted pilgrim to the Vatican Museums may not always manage."

"Until you have seen the Sistine Chapel, you can have no adequate conception of what man is capable of," Fisher said, referring to a famous quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. "Not that any virtual reality experience can substitute for visiting the Sistine itself! [But] in Sydney ... we have seen how beauty and transcendence can mesmerize the senses and speak to the heart, as the painted stories have revealed themselves anew."

The Sistine Chapel is widely regarded as the site of some of the greatest artworks of the High Renaissance. It is the main chapel of the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. It was built from 1473 to 1481 under Pope Sixtus IV and has hosted papal conclaves since 1492.

Its famous artworks are by some of the period's most celebrated artists, such as Michelangelo Buonarotti, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Sandro Botticelli.

Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, including the ceiling and the "Last Judgment" behind the high altar, are among the most renowned in art history.

Australia hopeful for a papal visit in 2028

There is hope that the Sydney exhibition will be a precursor to a future visit by Pope Leo XIV to Australia. The last pope to visit the country was Pope Benedict XVI, for World Youth Day, in 2008.

Pitt praised the immersive Sistine Chapel project as an "extraordinary opportunity for Australia" and expressed his hope that it would lead to Leo's future visit to the country for the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in 2028.

The International Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of Catholics from around the world to celebrate the central doctrine of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Held about once every four years, the congress is often attended by a papal representative and, at times, the pope himself goes to celebrate the closing Mass. The last time a pope attended the Eucharistic congress was in 2021, when Pope Francis celebrated the closing Mass in Budapest, Hungary.

"We are very hopeful that the pope will attend. He has been invited by the government, the prime minister, and, of course, the embassy. We are working closely with the Holy See," Pitt said. "It would be almost exactly 20 years since the last papal visit to Australia, and he would be very warmly received."

The Sistine Chapel exhibition will run from May 15 to July 19 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.

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OYO, Nigeria — Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of Nigeria's Catholic Diocese of Oyo has called on Christians to invoke the Holy Spirit against violence, kidnapping, and hatred in the West African nation, urging believers to reject what he described as "unchristian rhetoric of vengeance" and instead embrace "the language of Pentecost: unity and love."

In his Pentecost 2026 message shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on Sunday, Badejo reflected on the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and linked the solemnity to Nigeria's present security and social challenges — including banditry, insurgency, kidnappings, and growing hostility on digital media.

"We must ask for the Holy Spirit that rescued Paul and Silas from unjust imprisonment," the bishop said, adding: "Pray that the same Spirit, that same divine force, shake down the enclaves that hold God's children captive in Nigeria and set them free, rendering powerless all their captors and torturers."

The bishop, who is former president of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications, an entity of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, appealed for prayers for the conversion of perpetrators of violence in Africa's most populous nation.

"We pray that that same force will bend the hearts of the agents of evil to conversion and to God," he said.

In his message titled "Come Holy Spirit, Dispel Our Fears," Badejo described Pentecost as the moment that transformed fearful disciples into courageous witnesses of Christ after receiving the Holy Spirit.

"The apostles and the mother of Jesus gathered together in prayer, in anxiety or out of fear," he said. "However, the Bible teaches that after the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles a change came over them."

Quoting Acts 2:4, he said: "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves." Pentecost, he said, "repaired the damage caused by human self-centeredness at the Tower of Babel when human beings were scattered and no longer understood one another."

"The Holy Spirit united the world in one language of love," said Badejo, a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication since December 2021.

He urged Christians not to surrender to fear despite Nigeria's ongoing difficulties.

"The Holy Spirit will give us courage to do Jesus' will in spite of our troubles like it did to the apostles on the first day," Badejo said. "After the Holy Spirit descended on them those few disciples lost all fear and witnessed to Christ."

"No longer were they closed in one room for whatever reason; they burst out to the entire territory, refusing to allow fear or their concerns to paralyze them," he added.

The Catholic leader, who started his episcopal ministry in October 2007 as coadjutor bishop of the Oyo Diocese, also called on public officials and citizens to allow the Holy Spirit to guide their responsibilities toward the common good.

"Pray that he inspire those in governance to use their position and power to secure lives and property," he said, and further appealed: "Pray that those who are equipped to make life better for all be made to do their duties."

Addressing young people in particular, Badejo challenged them to transform social media into a space for evangelization and peace-building.

"I ask all youths to 'evangelize and catechize the social media' not just by being present on them but by transforming them with good news," he said, warning against "the spread of violent, degrading, and manipulative online content."

"Much news and videos of pornography, exploitation, calumny, abuse, torture, violence, and inhumanity are on the internet around today," he noted, lamenting: "Many are fake and malicious."

Badejo cautioned that such content "provide a dark kind of pleasure but they offend human dignity and do not make anything better."

"Those who have the Holy Spirit must choose to share only content that add value to others," he said, describing this approach as the "Pentecost Outreach."

Badejo further urged young people "touched by the Holy Spirit to fight extremism on the social media because all violence, evil, and war in this world begin from a thought and an idea."

The Nigerian Church leader strongly criticized prayer expressions that invoke destruction against perceived enemies.

"People who are praying like this are pagans and are telling us that there is no spirit of God in our churches or in the world," he said, urging Christians to abandon such practices. "Stop these nonsense prayers and begin to speak the language of the Pentecost: unity and love."

Referencing St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians, the bishop said the fruits of the Holy Spirit are "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

He also pointed believers to the example of Jesus on the cross.

"Remember how Jesus Christ forgave the world on the cross," Badejo said, adding: "This is what it means to be born again and to create a better world."

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Excitement is growing in the United Kingdom after an English diocese announced that a young man with "enormous faith" is officially on the way to possibly being named a saint, following in the footsteps of Sts. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Pedro Ballester, who was born in Manchester, died on Jan. 13, 2018, at the age of 21 of bone cancer after a life of prayer, sacrifice, and virtue. In a May 13 statement, the Diocese of Salford announced: "We are pleased to announce the opening of the cause for the beatification and canonization of Pedro Ballester, a young Manchester man whose life of faith and witness continues to inspire many.

"The opening of this cause marks an important step in recognizing the life and witness of a young man whose example of faith, especially in the face of suffering, continues to resonate with many people today."

The announcement marks the first step on the path to sainthood, with the diocese calling for "accounts, memories, writings attributed to Pedro, including diaries, letters," which "may help establish Pedro's reputation for holiness." Over 60 people who knew Ballester, including family and friends, have already been interviewed by Church authorities.

Speaking to EWTN News, Father Joseph Evans, chaplain of Greygarth Hall, Manchester, who accompanied Ballester during the last year of his life, welcomed the announcement, saying: "This is great news. Many young people today, particularly young men, are showing a renewed interest in faith and they're looking for authentic models. They're tired of a society based on softness and falsehood where comfort and ease are presented as the ultimate goals."

Ballester was born into a Catholic family and his Spanish parents, who moved to England for professional reasons, are married members of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church founded in Spain by St. Josemaría Escrivá in 1928. Ballester himself joined Opus Dei in 2013 as a "numerary" member — meaning he made a commitment to celibacy for life and living out the charism of Opus Dei in the world.

After winning a place at Imperial College in London to study chemical engineering in 2014, Ballester experienced intense back pain during his first semester, after which he was diagnosed with advanced cancer of the pelvis. He then went to Christie's Hospital, Manchester, for cancer treatment, where his faith and kindness were noticed as he sought to bring his frequent visitors closer to God.

Evans underlined how Ballester's life can empower people to follow Christ in the midst of suffering, saying: "Pedro's three years of suffering were very far from comfort and ease. He suffered enormously but also with enormous faith."

Ballester's suffering worsened after his cancer diagnosis and he regularly experienced acute pain leading up to his death, yet Evans pointed out that the young man "found happiness in deep self-giving and deep suffering."

He said: "He truly found Christ along the hard way, but he followed him with great joy."

The Diocese of Salford is now in the process of reviewing Ballester's life, acknowledging that "over the years since his death, his reputation for holiness has grown significantly." This information-gathering exercise is the first step to canonization, prior to an extensive investigation by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, who will explore whether Ballester lived a life of "heroic virtue and holiness" and should become a saint.

Jack Valero from Opus Dei, which is promoting Ballester's cause for sainthood, told EWTN News he is "delighted" at the announcement, adding that young people are "very inspired" by Ballester's life.

"We have had reports from many different countries of people who obtain favors from God after praying through Pedro's intercession," Valero said. "Many young people are very inspired by Pedro, a man who was always happy and thinking of others even in the midst of terrible suffering."

Valero also commented that some of these reports can be found on the website dedicated to Ballester's life and cause. In one account, Blanca, 15, from Asturias, Spain, was in a life-threatening condition after she suffered a serious stroke in November 2023. Following major brain surgery, family and friends called for Ballester's intercession. Blanca made a significant recovery, which doctors called "a miracle," and she left hospital on Dec. 11, 2023. 

The Diocese of Salford paid tribute to Ballester's "remarkable serenity and faith," and Evans said he is hopeful that this first step will lead to his canonization and inspire young people in their "search for Christ."

"Pedro offers young people today a model of an authentic search for Christ, knowing that this also has to mean embracing the cross. Yet if we do so, this brings joy," he said.

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Pope Leo XIV decried a rejection of Christian values in European institutions, leading to what he characterized as "a time of drastic sterility" and "purportedly family-friendly policies" that also support abortion.

In a May 25 audience with members of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Demography, the pope underscored the central place of the family — founded on marriage between a man and a woman — as a pillar for avoiding both excessive state intervention and the advance of individualism.

The Holy Father denounced what he described as a "rejection of the Christian inspiration of the founding fathers of the EU institutions," which in his view has led "to a time of drastic sterility, not only because too many have been deprived of the right to be born, but also because there has been a failure to pass on the material and cultural tools that young people need to face the future."

"As a result, we are not infrequently faced with the contradictory claims of purportedly family-friendly policies, which simultaneously promote discrimination against motherhood, exalt abortion as a right, and undermine the very foundation of the desire to start a family," Leo warned.

He insisted on the need to study these issues within academic, political, and social bodies, affirming that the demographic challenge "stands as a crucial juncture for the anthropological, social, and economic future of Europe."

'Pandemic of loneliness'

In his speech the pope also described Europe's demographic decline as "an urgent challenge," one that encompasses not only the problems arising from an aging population but also what he called "the pandemic of loneliness."

According to Eurostat's latest report on demographics in Europe, all European Union countries have recorded declining birth rates since 2004. In 2024, the rate stood at 7.9 live births per 1,000 inhabitants, and in 2025 the EU's median age reached 44.9 years.

The pontiff emphasized that demographic data "are not merely statistics but speak of fatherhood, motherhood, and children. And children are the future!" He also stressed that "solidarity between generations," currently lacking in Europe, is essential for achieving integral and sustainable development.

The vital role of the family in society

According to the Holy Father, the key to finding solutions to demographic challenges lies in "the fundamental dignity of all persons" and in the role of the family in society. He recalled that the family is "the first and irreplaceable school of social life" and is "founded on marriage between a man and a woman."

For this reason, he urged the parliamentarians to promote shared responsibility and the active role of families in social, political, and cultural life, because, he said, "only by respecting and promoting this central place of the family, and applying the principle of subsidiarity, is it possible to avoid the two extremes of excessive state intervention and individualism."

This approach, he noted, provides the "unchanging principles that can surely guide" society in answering fundamental questions: "What is the meaning and value of human life; what is an authentic human society; and what kind of world do we want to hand on to future generations."

'A fresh springtide for the family'

On this basis, he emphasized that national and European Union policies "need to be developed and formulated in partnership with civil society" so that "policies look to human persons in their entirety and always promote the dignity of human beings."

"In this way, a genuinely human path can be opened for resolving the demographic crisis, oriented toward the common good and the well-being of future generations," he said.

In conclusion, the pope stressed that "only a fresh springtide for the family can transform the winter chill of our aging populations!"

The meeting at the Vatican took place on the occasion of the Conference on the Family and Demography held in Rome, which was also attended by the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica; Italy's minister for family, natality, and equal opportunities, Eugenia Roccella; and the OSCE special representative on demographic change and security, Gudrun Kugler.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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As Lebanon continues to struggle under the weight of overlapping crises, from war and economic collapse to poverty and displacement, humanitarian initiatives aimed at supporting the Lebanese people are intensifying.

Within this context, Polish Catholics have launched an international initiative to assist Lebanon's most vulnerable families. "Lebanon in Need" was launched by the Maronite Missionary Foundation in Poland in partnership with 4fund.com, one of Poland's largest licensed financial institutions specializing in humanitarian fundraising, as part of the broader international campaign "Europe for Lebanon."

The initiative operates as a voluntary crisis committee that combines pastoral mission with regulated European financial infrastructure, with the aim of ensuring that every euro donated in Europe reaches Lebanon safely, transparently, and in full.

Addressing gaps in humanitarian aid to Lebanon

"Lebanon in Need" was launched at the beginning of March to address a specific challenge: how to transfer European generosity to Lebanese families without the complications, losses, and regulatory ambiguity that often weaken cross-border Catholic humanitarian campaigns.

Having already worked in Lebanon in 2020, the foundation knew that many Catholics in Poland, Italy, Portugal, and other European countries were willing to help. At the same time, it understood that smaller Catholic initiatives often lack the financial and regulatory infrastructure necessary to receive donations on a large scale and transfer them quickly and transparently during times of war.

This led to an unusual partnership between the foundation, through its Church networks and ties with Lebanese Christian institutions, and 4fund.com, the international arm of the Polish crowdfunding platform zrzutka.pl. Together, the two entities launched "Lebanon in Need" as the operational arm of the wider "Europe for Lebanon" campaign, creating a model that combines pastoral mission with organized European financial systems.

While Catholic humanitarian initiatives traditionally rely on parish networks and volunteer work, crowdfunding platforms rely on technology and modern financial systems. This initiative brings both worlds together with the goal of ensuring that aid reaches its beneficiaries with greater transparency and credibility.

Support reaching the most vulnerable families

In Lebanon, field operations rely on a network of trusted institutions that have played a key role throughout the country's successive crises, including Caritas Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross, as well as a wide network of parishes, dioceses, and local Church institutions, where priests and social workers personally know the families most in need.

Aid is directed toward the groups most affected by the crisis, with particular attention given to families displaced by bombardments, elderly people living alone, women and children in vulnerable conditions, sick and disabled persons, as well as families living in extreme poverty and residents of collective shelters, remote villages, and under-resourced host communities.

Although the initiative is rooted in Christian values and gives particular attention to Christian families who have lost everything, assistance is provided to all those in need, regardless of religion, background, or political affiliation.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Pope Leo XIV just released his first encyclical — and it may be the most important Church document of our lifetime. Called Magnifica Humanitas, it covers artificial intelligence, human dignity, children's phones, autonomous weapons, doomscrolling, the mystery of the human soul, and why no machine will ever have the final word on what it means to be a person made in the image of God.

The full document is available to download here — and worth a read. But for a quick taste of what's inside, here are 15 powerful quotes from the encyclical:

"Never has humanity had such power over itself." (par. 4)

"In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it. Therefore, the primary choice is not between a 'yes' or 'no' to technology, but rather between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem; between a power that claims to dominate the heavens and a people who work together in the presence of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence." (par. 9)

"In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace." (par. 15)

"Thus, the 'rejected stones' — the poor, the sick, the migrants and the least among us — will become the cornerstone, and a solid, welcoming common home will emerge on the earth, where love and faithfulness will finally meet, and righteousness and peace will embrace (cf. Ps 85:10)." (par.16)

"Human dignity does not depend on a person's abilities, wealth, or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of his unfailing love." (par. 50)

"Among these ideologies, I consider particularly insidious the one that suggests that every person must earn or justify his or her own worth, to the point of attributing greater value to those who are more efficient or effective." (par. 51)

"No sin, failure, humiliation, or exclusion can diminish the profound value of a human life that God has willed and called into being." (par. 52)

"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." (par. 76)

"For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change. A person's future is not calculable, but depends on one's freedom — elevated by the inexhaustible grace of God — and on the relationships cultivated." (par. 128)

"Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people's vulnerabilities, foster addiction, and expose them to isolation, bullying, and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information." (par. 141)

"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, show us that grace does not magically eliminate conflict, but instead it inspires active resistance to evil and an astonishing creativity in doing good." (par. 211)

"The civilization of love will not arise from a single or spectacular gesture, but from the sum total of small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization." (par. 213)

"'Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world.' Words have enormous power, something we experience in our daily interactions; for example, spoken words can change our mood for better or for worse." (par. 214)

"No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil. Even when machines excel in efficiency, a human face that asks to be gazed upon remains the center of our history. This human face is the fullness toward which history is moving." (par. 233)

"Let us remain faithful to the truth! Living amid incessant flows of information, opinions and images, we know how easy it can be to influence decisions and preferences through increasingly sophisticated algorithms. In this context, it is imperative to cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results." (par. 237)

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Pope Leo XIV devotes a substantial portion of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to the impact of the digital revolution on education and family life.

The pontiff acknowledges that "rapid technological transformations reveal just how unprepared we are on the educational level." He warns that "the pervasiveness of digital media fosters a culture of immediacy and hyper-stimulation, which gives rise to fatigue, boredom, and apathy concerning the effort required for seeking the truth."

In response, he emphasizes that education "is a long journey requiring patience and therefore needs time for development and for engagement with reality beyond appearances," something he considers "fundamental," because — as he recalls — every technology "shapes those who use it."

The risk of extinguishing the desire to ask questions

In the encyclical, Leo XIV does not offer ready-made answers or an easy list of tips. Rather, he issues a broad call to rethink what it means to educate people in the use of artificial intelligence and its implications. Ultimately, as he himself states, it is a matter of educating people "to decide when and for what purpose it ought not to be used."

"The speed and ease with which answers or summaries can be obtained risk extinguishing the desire to ask questions, which is a process that bears fruit only over time," the pope writes. To illustrate this point, he turns to the Seventh Letter of the Greek philosopher Plato, from 353 B.C., a cornerstone of Western thought.

"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," he suggests, recalling that, as Plato said, the deepest and most important realities are learned only with great time and effort.

'Early and unsupervised exposure'

The pope also warns about the negative impact on sleep, attention, and emotional regulation caused by "early and unsupervised exposure to digital devices and social media."

This is compounded, he continues, "by easy access to violent or degrading content that offends sensibility, to pornographic and hypersexualized material, to messages that trivialize the body and emotions, and to proposals that normalize risky behavior."

"Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people's vulnerabilities, foster addiction, and expose them to isolation, bullying, and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information," he warns.

In this regard, the pontiff acknowledges that it is difficult for parents to resist on their own the "influence of business models that monetize attention and time." Hence his call for "an alliance among policymakers, educational institutions, and families that is capable of concretely supporting adults in this task."

"Farsighted public policies are needed," he insists, "to oppose the immediate interests of platforms, concentrated in a few hands, when they conflict with the well-being of minors."

Along these lines, without pointing to any specific government, he speaks positively of legislative initiatives promoted in countries such as Australia, France, and Spain, and urges the promotion of "setting age limits, holding service providers accountable rather than shifting the whole burden of control onto families, and for providing specific protections against all forms of online sexual exploitation and violence. Thus can children and adolescents, who are entrusted to our care, be genuinely protected as a precious treasure."

Leo also identifies several pressing challenges within education in the face of the emergence of artificial intelligence.

"Many educational systems struggle to keep pace with change and to support the integral development of students," he notes.

The development of information technologies and AI is causing curricula designed for another era to be obsolete, while school organization, spaces, assessment methods, and the very role of the teacher must be rethought "in order to promote an authentically integral education that addresses every dimension of the person."

"It is necessary to support the ongoing formation of teachers throughout their professional lives, so that they can engage positively with new technologies, helping students to use them responsibly, critically, and creatively rather than passively succumbing to their influence," he says.

The Holy Father also identifies a challenge of an intellectual and wisdom-based nature. "Without careful attention, an educational system lacking in a love for truth may emerge, in which an incessant flow of information replaces the essential exercise of research, reflection, and discernment," he laments.

A healthy attitude of attention

In this context, he warns of the proliferation of a fragmented knowledge, while "it becomes difficult to grasp reality as a whole, to ask profound questions about meaning, or to develop authentic, critical, and creative thought."

"A genuinely healthy attitude is needed, requiring rhythms that incorporate silence, in-depth study, reading, and judicious analysis, for without these elements inner freedom may be compromised," he proposes.

The Church's social doctrine, the pope says, calls for a renewed educational alliance among families, schools, Christian communities, and public institutions. This takes concrete form when principles are translated into educational goals: educating in sobriety and a sense of limits; in recognizing the right of others and of future generations to enjoy the goods received or created by human ingenuity; in freedom and responsibility; and in a sense of transcendence and the common good.

"Schools are not called to follow the pace of the digital world but to offer that which the digital sphere by itself cannot provide, namely a shared time for learning and developing trustworthy relationships," he concludes.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published Monday, Pope Leo XIV calls on society and AI developers to implement "shared standards of social justice" in order for artificial intelligence to respect human dignity and serve the common good.

AI is not a morally neutral tool; it matters not only how it is used but how it is designed, Leo writes in "Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence," published May 25. Magnifica humanitas means "magnificent humanity" in Latin.

He also warns that "a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few … In fact, as with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise, and access to data."

The first encyclical letter of Leo XIV covers a wide range of social issues, focusing heavily on the impacts of AI in the areas of education, the economy, unemployment, work, the development of young people, human trafficking, and war.

He proposes the principles of Catholic social doctrine — the dignity of the person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity, and justice — as guidelines for decision-making and the "criteria for judging whether technologies truly serve humanity or are subjugating it."

While rejecting dichotomous thinking that pits the opportunities of AI against its risks, or enthusiasm against fear, Leo offers a stark assessment of the technological paradigm the world finds itself in today and describes a path of progress that serves people "or a progress that subjects them to the mentality of power."

"The risk extends beyond the misuse of certain technologies. More gravely, the pervasive technocratic paradigm in which we are immersed, and that is amplified by the digital revolution and AI, threatens to normalize an antihuman vision," he writes.

Leo borrows the term "technocratic paradigm" from Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', in which, Leo writes, Francis critiqued a paradigm "that seeks to reduce everything to an object to be dominated."

In that antihuman vision, he continues, "the fullness of life is equated with having more, reducing weakness, eliminating uncertainty, and exerting total control. When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion."

According to Pope Leo, the central question — safeguarding our humanity — is something everyone should have a role in answering.

He invokes one of his spiritual guides, St. Augustine of Hippo, quoting from "De Civitate Dei" ("The City of God"): "'Two loves have built two cities: the earthly city, the love of self even to the contempt of God; the heavenly city, the love of God even to the contempt of self.' As throughout history, these two loves continue to contend for dominance in our hearts today."

From Catholic social doctrine to the fight for power

The encyclical's 245 paragraphs are broken down into an introduction and five chapters, with the first two dedicated to an explanation of the development of the Church's social doctrine from Pope Leo XIII to today, the main principles of that doctrine, and how they can be applied to the current technological age.

Chapter 3 introduces "the technocratic paradigm" of artificial intelligence and the imbalance of digital power.

Chapter 4 turns to the importance of safeguarding truth, democracy, work, education, and human freedom in the age of AI, while the fifth chapter is dedicated to an analysis of the normalization of war, the fight for power, and how everyone has a responsibility to help build a civilization of love through the cultivation of peace and justice.

Throughout the encyclical, Leo draws on the image of construction to ask how humanity will respond to the new technological age. Humanity, he says, must choose between building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and building a city where God and humanity can dwell together, as Nehemiah gathered together people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 2-6).

"In light of these two images, the Holy Spirit challenges us today regarding our relationship with technology and the ongoing digital revolution," he writes. "Technology has the power to heal, connect, educate, and protect our common home; but it can also divide, exclude, and generate new forms of injustice."

Pope Leo XIV draws on quotations from prominent 19th- and 20th-century thinkers, both Catholic and Jewish, including St. John Paul II, Victor Frankl, Hannah Arendt, J.R.R. Tolkien, Giorgio La Pira, and Father Romano Guardini, to argue that while technology is not a solution in itself to humanity's problems, nor is it inherently evil.

"In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise it, finance it, regulate it, and use it," he writes.

The choice, he continues, is not between a "yes" or "no" to technology but "between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem; between a power that claims to dominate the heavens and a people who work together in the presence of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence."

Frequently cited sources for the encyclical letter include Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Caritas in Veritate and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Writing that he does not wish to give a comprehensive overview of AI, the pope points readers to previous writings by the Church on AI, in particular, the 2025 note Antiqua et Nova by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education and Quo Vadis, Humanitas?, published earlier this year by the International Theological Commission — both of which are cited often in the footnotes of Magnifica Humanitas.

Christian humanism and the technocratic paradigm

The pope writes about the mindsets of transhumanism and posthumanism and how they are the ideological vision underlying technology.

He proposes a Christian humanism, where human beings "are not confined by the boundaries of their own nature; rather, they are called to self-transcendence, not through an escape from reality or a contempt for their limitations but through their fulfillment in love."

In Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father also expresses concern about the "new monopolies of AI."

"To speak of the common good means exposing this new form of epistemic, economic, and political asymmetry," he writes.

The key question, he says, is that posed by St. John Paul II: Does AI "make human life on earth 'more human' in every aspect of that life? Does it make it more worthy of man?'"

Leo writes that "a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation" is in the fight against new forms of slavery, such as human trafficking. The pontiff goes on to "sincerely ask for pardon," in the name of the Church, for the "immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many" before slavery was unequivocally condemned in the 19th century.

"This development offers a clear example of the Church's growth in understanding the perennial truths of revelation that she safeguards. Although there was not always consistency in practice," he writes, "there has been a continuous affirmation throughout history of the dignity of every human being, created in the image of God, even if it took 18 centuries for its full incompatibility with slavery to be explicitly recognized."

The memory of past blindness and complicity regarding the injustice of slavery is "a call to vigilance," the pope says. "What we have learned must be translated into discernment and responsibility in the present."

'A violent culture of power'

A large section of the pope's letter is devoted to what he writes is "a troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics," AI use in warfare, a crisis in multilateralism, and the erosion of ethical principles that used to limit war.

"Humanity is slipping into a violent culture of power," he warns. "Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the 'just war' theory which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated. Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy, and forgiveness."

"The modern Babel can be seen not only in the globalized technocratic paradigm but also in the remote clash between opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy and those that aspire to seize that supremacy, resulting in a multiplicity of local conflicts. Moreover, there seems to be no limit to the race — driven by a dehumanizing ambition — to develop evermore powerful technologies or to secure control over them," Pope Leo writes.

But the pontiff does not conclude on a negative note. He adds that, "despite this downward spiral, we can also glimpse a great part of humanity that is striving to remain human and working to build the holy city of coexistence and peace."

Concluding the document, he expresses the hope that, "[i]n the humble fidelity of daily life, even the era of AI can become a time in which the Holy Spirit brings about the civilization of love in our lives."

"Indeed, the Lord continues to make all things new and offers every era the possibility of becoming part of salvation history in the light of the Incarnation."

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As the first encyclical of his pontificate, Magnifica Humanitas, published Monday, can be regarded as an indication of Pope Leo XIV's doctrinal approach.

One of the most significant aspects of magisterial documents like encyclicals is the sources of inspiration the pope draws upon beyond the strictly ecclesial sphere — that is, not only citations from great theologians, Church Fathers, or pontiffs but also references from traditions and disciplines outside the Church.

For example, Leo XIV cites Viktor Frankl, the physician and survivor of four Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. From that extreme experience — marked by the total destruction of his surroundings and the extermination of his loved ones — emerged his universal work "Man's Search for Meaning," in which Frankl argues that, despite suffering, life remains worth living.

The pope also points to the "almost prophetic significance" of various cultural expressions: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which he describes as a "desire for unity"; Pablo Picasso's "Guernica," "as a denunciation of dehumanization"; and Steven Spielberg's film "Schindler's List," "as a call not to consign the past to oblivion."

In the encyclical, the pontiff warns of the risks facing democratic life in a context in which "the question of what is true loses interest," giving way to a pragmatism satisfied with "what seems useful or effective."

To illustrate the consequences of this indifference to truth — which, according to the pope, "leads slowly but inexorably toward totalitarianism" — he turns to the German-American philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt.

In "The Origins of Totalitarianism," published in 1951, Arendt maintains that the ideal subjects of such regimes are not necessarily those who are ideologically convinced but rather "people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e, the standards of thought) no longer exist," as quoted in Magnifica Humanitas.

The pontiff also cites 20th-century Catholic writer J.R.R. Tolkien, specifically "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the epic conclusion of his famous trilogy. Through the wizard Gandalf, the pope recalls the moral responsibility of each generation: "It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till."

Alongside these references, the pontiff evokes the civil rights movement in the United States, associated with the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the end of apartheid in South Africa following Nelson Mandela's release and his decision not to "surrender the future to hatred."

The magisterial text also recognizes the witness of "courageous and generous" women such as St. Laura Montoya, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Dorothy Day, and Elisabeth Elliot (1926–2015), an influential American Christian missionary, writer, and speaker.

Alongside them, Leo mentions prominent figures from various fields of knowledge and social action who are not necessarily Catholic. Among them are Marie Curie (1867–1934), a pioneer in the study of radioactivity and the first person to receive two Nobel Prizes in different fields (physics and chemistry); Maria Montessori, the Italian physician, educator, and philosopher who revolutionized education by placing the child at the center of learning; and Wangari Maathai (1940–2011), the Kenyan activist, founder of the Green Belt Movement, and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.

He also refers to Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007), a prominent Pakistani political leader and the first woman elected to govern a Muslim-majority country, serving as prime minister on two occasions, from 1988–1990 and 1993–1996.

All of them, together with many other women from different continents, Leo XIV notes, have contributed through their efforts to "making history more humane."

In addition, in the section addressing education, the pontiff cites Plato — specifically his Seventh Letter, dating to 353 B.C. — in which, while recounting his stay in Syracuse under the tyrants Dionysius the Elder and Dionysius the Younger, the Greek philosopher sets forth part of his political and ethical doctrine.

The encyclical also highlights religious communities that choose to live in poor and dangerous places. The pope calls them "martyrs of fraternity and justice," such as St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, St. Óscar Romero, and Blessed Enrique Angelelli; as well as other witnesses who, under harsh and often inhuman conditions, have embodied the hope of the Gospel and the dignity of the human person, such as the Venerable François-Xavier Nguy?n Van Thu?n.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Monday personally attended the presentation of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in an uncustomary gesture. Upon his arrival at the event, held in the Vatican's Synod Hall, he was greeted with sustained applause from an audience made up of members of the Roman Curia, representatives of academia, and the diplomatic corps.

Among the speakers was Canadian Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The firm has recently had tensions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after prohibiting the U.S. Department of Defense from using its software for military purposes.

Some observers had raised concerns about including a representative of a major tech company like Anthropic in an event of this kind. The Holy Father himself dispelled any hesitation by thanking Olah for his presence: "What a great sign of hope it is that with our differences we can listen to one another," he said in his remarks.

"This interchange clearly bespeaks the gravity of the moment, as well as confidence that together we can discern the major questions of our time, and so the future of humanity," he added.

In his remarks prior to the pope's address, Olah echoed the same idea: "That is why, if we want this technology to go well, it is enormously important that there be people outside those incentives — people who care about things going well and insist on safety, who are paying close attention, who are willing to say hard things, who are willing to be our earnest, thoughtful, critics. It is through dialogue and mutual effort, through the push and pull, that humanity will achieve great things. That is what I see in Magnifica Humanitas, and it is why I am grateful to His Holiness and the Church for taking up this work of discernment."

Olah, who is not a believer, also issued a call to various sectors — religious communities, civil society, academics, and governments — to follow the pope's example with this document: "to take this seriously, to look closely, and to push events in a better direction. We need informed critics who will tell the labs when we are failing. We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend."

It is no coincidence that Leo XIV signed his first encyclical on May 15, the same date on which his predecessor Leo XIII promulgated Rerum Novarum ("On New Things") in 1891 in response to the dehumanization brought about by the Industrial Revolution. As the pope explained, the world today faces a transformation of perhaps even greater scope.

"Today we find ourselves facing a transformation of similar magnitude, with perhaps even greater consequences. Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence," he said.

The pope expressed particular concern about the impact of new technologies on the conduct of war, which, he warned, is changing dramatically.

"Like the earlier Leo, I feel entrusted to look upon another huge transformation with eyes of faith, with lucidity of reason, with openness to mystery, and with cries of the poor and the earth resounding in my heart," he said.

The Holy Father also described the method behind the drafting of this magisterial document, which began in July 2025 at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. In it, he seeks to reaffirm what makes us human in a society shaped by technology.

He emphasized that Magnifica Humanitas was born from listening: "I have listened to scientists and engineers who work with sincere enthusiasm on technologies capable of alleviating immense suffering, to political leaders and public officials who have perseveringly sought just rules, to parents and teachers who are deeply concerned for the future of younger generations," he said, without naming individuals.

At the same time, he acknowledged hearing "Other very troubling voices have also reached me about increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond any human reach to govern them effectively."

"I hear very troubling accounts of algorithms that can block access to healthcare, employment, and security on the basis of data tainted by prejudice and injustice. And I've heard the silence of those who have no voice when decisions are made — decisions likely to generate new forms of exclusion and suffering," he lamented.

In line with the document — which states that artificial intelligence is not morally neutral — the pope called for AI to be "disarmed."

"The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity," he warned.

"The Church has long been working for nuclear disarmament, aware that every great technical power can affect people's lives, and so must be accompanied by adequate moral discernment and public control. Nuclear disarmament remains a service to peace and the dignity of the human family," he added.

Also speaking at the presentation were three cardinals of the Roman Curia: Secretary of State Pietro Parolin; Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Two theologians also took the floor: Anna Rowlands, a specialist in Catholic social teaching and migration ethics at Durham University, and Leocadie Lushombo, an expert in political theology and Catholic social thought at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in California.

This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language news service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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