From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
August 24, 2026 (#125)
The Most Recent Papal Encyclical: Magnifica Humanitas
Part IV: Chapter Two (paragraphs 46-89)
The second chapter of this encyclical begins with the statement, “The Social Doctrine of the Church is a living reality, in dialogue with history, cultures and sciences. At the same time, it enshrines a core set of unchanging truths.” (46) It then proceeds to delineate and define these foundations of the Church’s Social Doctrine. The first of them is the biblically based assertion that the human person is purposely willed by God and made in the image and likeness of the same Triune God. As a result, every man and woman “is planned and willed by God to enter into communion with him, with others and with creation,” without regard to social or economic status, health condition, or past personal history, be it virtuous or vicious. (50) Moreover, echoing Pope St. John Paul II and the Second Vatican Council, Pope Leo teaches that each and every human person is of equal and infinite dignity. (51-53)
It follows, in the logic of the Church’ s social teaching, that human rights are, therefore, inviolable, universal, and inalienable. (55) In this context, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by the United Nations in 1948, is highlighted and praised, in the words of Pope John Paul II, as “a milestone on the long and difficult path of the human race.” (54) One of the difficulties in maintaining a common understanding of these universal rights, Leo points out, as did Pope Francis before him, is the contemporary abandonment of the use of reason in search of “the foundation of their universality.” (56) In this context, in observed in so many societies, the right to life for the unborn, the infirm, and the elderly is subject to unjust laws that violate the most fundamental of human rights, making impossible the exercise of any other human right. (55)
Having explored the foundations of the Church's Social Doctrine, the encyclical then explains several core principles of the same: the principle of the common good (59-64), the principle of the universal destination of goods (65-67), the principle of subsidiarity (68-72), the principle of solidarity (73-76), and the principle of social justice (77-81). The final paragraphs of this chapter recall the Church's teaching on “integral human development,” with particular attention to the Magisterium of Pope St. Paul VI. Such development “is truly human when it places people at the center instead of the accumulation of wealth, and when it concerns peoples as well as individuals.” (83)
Before proceeding to chapter three, with its more explicit examination of the central question of artificial intelligence, Pope Leo indicates the necessity for an “examination of conscience” and ongoing reform by the Church itself, especially by the hierarchy:
Living out justice in the Church means purifying ecclesial relationships and structures from distortions that give rise to inequality, lack of transparency and abuse of power. In this regard, listening to the victims of spiritual, economic, institutional, sexual and power-based abuse, as well as abuses of conscience, is an integral part of a journey toward justice, which includes acknowledging the harm done, just reparation and taking steps to prevent it from happening again. Every power is at the service of communion and mission. All authority is at the service of the People of God. (89)
In this, Pope Leo apparently wishes to associate himself explicitly with his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, whose programmatic path of synodality called for “a culture of transparency, accountability and evaluation as key practices for missionary transformation.” (86)
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
