From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
August 25, 2026 (#126)
The Most Recent Papal Encyclical: Magnifica Humanitas
Part V: Chapter Three (paragraphs 90-130)
Pope Leo opens chapter three with a return to the two Biblical images presented previously: the building of the Tower of Babel, i.e., the “technological paradigm,” which ultimately “follows a plan that dominates and ultimately dehumanizes,” and the rebuilding of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah, described as “a project of shared responsibility.” (91, 90) Calling for the embrace of the latter paradigm, the pope recognizes that “the expansion of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, nanotechnology, robotics and biotechnology…. can greatly serve integral human development and the care of our common home.” But these are powerful tools in human hands and, as the Church knows so well, in the words of Romano Guardini, “Contemporary man has not been trained to use power well.” (93) This encyclical, while recognizing the possible benefits from these new technologies, also draws attention to their dangers, in defense of the dignity of the human person, especially in consideration of the most marginalized and vulnerable among us.
While the document vigorously maintains that the Church is not opposed to the development of these technologies, it maintains that “The use of AI is never a purely technical matter: when it enters processes that affect people’s lives, it touches on rights, opportunities, status and freedom.” (102) Thus vigilance, transparency, rigorous evaluation, and prudential governance are required. An ethical framework is also required, one which is not determined by only a few. Significantly, Leo writes, “…merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarmed, welcoming and accessible.” (110) “Developers,” Leo writes, “therefore, bear a particular ethical and spiritual responsibility, for every design choice reflects a vision of humanity.” (111)
Of particular interest and concern to the Holy Father are the ideologies of “transhumanism” and posthumanism,” which he acknowledges are difficult to define, but often contain perspectives that are inimical to a Christian understanding of the human person. (115-117ff) These ideologies sometimes pretend to seek to overcome human limitations through new technologies. Leo asserts with the Church, that “humanity flourishes not despite limitations, but often through them.” (118) He then provides numerous examples of the heroic flourishing of humanity in response to apparent limitations in the lives not only of Catholic saints but of non-Catholics as well. (see 123-126)
For centuries, the Christian tradition has maintained that 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. (127)
This will never be accomplished by means of a technological “fixing” of men and women (e.g., by adjusting algorithms, etc.), determined by those with access to powerful computers, and even less by the self-directed machines themselves. Rather, “what saves humanity is not enhanced self-sufficiency, but a relationship that liberates, a communion that transforms.”
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. (128)
“Self-sufficiency,” like the building of the Tower of Babel, dehumanizes. The human person, living in freedom and communion, and aided by grace, contributes to the building of a civilization of love, that is, “Jerusalem.” (129-130)
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
