From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
September 4, 2026 (#127)
The Most Recent Papal Encyclical: Magnifica Humanitas
Part VI: Chapter Four (paragraphs 131-181)
The timeliness of this encyclical has, perhaps, been proven in recent days, as the company META has agreed to settle a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against it for having manipulated its social network programs in order to make them more addictive for children and adolescents. Simultaneously, various countries and US states are considering legislation to prohibit or at least limit access to the same kinds of programs (e.g., Facebook). The news headlines have also published voices calling for the banning of autonomous weapons, such as drones, which would not be subject the regular human direction, analysis, an intervention. And the growing political and social opposition to the construction and establishment of data centers throughout this country brings some of these questions very close to home for many people. These are but a few of the dangers of AI and the new technologies already before our eyes.
The fourth chapter of this encyclical endeavors to move beyond the merely theoretical or historical aspects of the church's related social teaching:
…we must focus on certain areas in which these transformations have particularly concrete, and at times tragic, consequences. In light of the principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine, the digital transformation invites us to rediscover truth as a common good, to protect the dignity of work and to safeguard freedom against all forms of dependence and commercialization.” (131)
The popes who are most cited in the encyclical are Pope Francis (63 times) and Pope Saint John Paul II (50 times). This, of course, should not be surprising as many of the questions arising from AI have become more publicly realized and discussed only in the last few years. Nevertheless, it is interesting to observe the continuity between these two popes and the current one in the discussion of matters such as the necessity of truth for the maintenance and advancement of democracy, and the defense of human dignity and human freedom.
Leo XIV is strong in calling for an “educational alliance for the digital age,” which would place a special emphasis on the role of families in union with schools, public institutions, and other social and religious bodies and organizations for the well-being of children, whose physical and mental health can easily be put at risk by the manipulation of AI and social media. (139-147) There follows an equally long and important discussion of the dignity and necessity of work, explored especially considering the teachings of Pope Leo XIII and Pope St. John Paul II. (148-169) The probability of massive unemployment for many, resulting from AI, is widely acknowledged.
In the closing paragraphs of this chapter (170-179), The pope explores what he calls “dependencies and social control” and “new forms of slavery” resulting from “a technocratic and post-humanist mentality that tends to regard the human person as an object to be manipulated or a resource to be optimized.” (172) He also discusses “new forms” of colonialism developing in our day:
It no longer dominates only bodies, but appropriates data, transforming personal lives into exploitable information. Entire regions, especially those marked by structural fragility and limited geopolitical relevance, are currently subjected to a new mindset of extraction: that of health data, epidemiological profiles, genetic maps and demographic information. (178)
Notably, in his discussion of human trafficking and new forms of slavery made possible by the manipulation of the new technologies, coupled with a recognition of the reality of the development of the Church’s doctrine through the ages, there is a poignant apology from Pope Leo on behalf of the entire Church for its cooperation with and justification for human slavery in centuries past. (176)
Finally, the chapter closes with a call to “shared responsibility” in the use, direction, and oversight of AI so as to mitigate its dangers and maximize it benefits:
From this perspective, the Social Doctrine of the Church calls for a shared responsibility. It asks that these processes be guided with foresight: by institutions capable of regulating without stifling, and protecting without taking over; by businesses that recognize work and dignity as measures of success; by intermediary organizations and educational communities that rebuild trust and relationships; and by citizens who cultivate responsibility, moderation, discernment and a sense of truth. Only in this way can innovation genuinely serve integral human development, rather than becoming a source of exclusion and dominance. And only in this way can the promise of progress be recognized as authentic, because it is measured against the inviolable dignity of every man and woman. (181)
The full text of the papal encyclical under consideration here can be found, in English, at the Vatican website:
https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html
