Encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” published

On 25 May 2026, the Vatican published an Encyclical by Pope Leo XIV, which he had completed on 15 May. It is entitled “Magnifica Humanitas.”1 In English this translates as “Magnificent Humanity.” The papal Encyclical sets out the Holy See’s position, in detail and with sound reasoning, on technological progress, and in particular on artificial intelligence. It addresses a wide range of areas of life that are already known to be, or will be, affected by AI. At its heart are democracy and freedom; family, upbringing and education; economic life and work. However, it also goes far beyond the topic of AI, addressing the fundamentals of human existence and coexistence. An extensive chapter at the end of the text is devoted to the threats to peace and the task of fostering peace.
    The Encyclical is extraordinarily rich in content and certainly cannot be fully grasped in a brief essay. It is guided by the fundamental principles of Christian social teaching, namely the principle of the common good, the principle of the universal destination of goods, the principle of subsidiarity, the principle of solidarity and the principle of social justice. These principles are deduced and explained in detail once again in the second chapter. The question of the benefits and harms of AI is focused on the essential point – not the pursuit of power and profit, but What serves human dignity?
    The impressive substance and the person-centred language of the Encyclical appealed greatly to me. Here, I found, we have an ally standing on the side of life, committed to putting reason, compassion, and humanity back at the centre, and refusing to stand idly by while watching the madness of our present world. We read that the Church regards “all who sincerely seek ‘truth, goodness and beauty’ ” as “companions” and “‘precious allies’ in defending the dignity of every person and in caring for creation.” Leo advocates dialogue on an equal footing. This is no longer – as in past centuries – a matter of imposing a dogma by force and from above: “We wish to engage in dialogue with all men and women of our time, with whom we share in the events, questions and aspirations of humanity.”
    Looking at the initial public reactions to the Encyclical, there is widespread applause. However, applause is also coming from circles and forces whose past practices differ from what the Pope considers commendable. How can this be explained? Is it to drown something significant in excessive applause? We will have to be vigilant.
    The Pope writes, “…when the dignity of our brothers and sisters is violated, when politics fails to address the tragedies of humanity, when the economy turns against the person or science oversteps the limits of its competence, the Church […] must make her voice heard.” The Pope does not accuse anyone by name. But we may ask: Who might he have meant by this? It is only fitting that the Encyclical speaks of humanity having to make a choice: “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” •

¹ Pope Leo XIV. Magnifica Humanitas. Safeguarding the Human Person in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Encyclical; or online at: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html