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Magnifica humanitas

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Pope Leo XIV wrote Magnifica humanitas where he warns about the growing use of artificial intelligence

Magnifica humanitas (lit. 'magnificent humanity') is the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV. It talks about Leo's worries with "preserving the human person in the age of artificial intelligence". It was published on 25 May 2026.[1][2]

Leo XIV chose to present the encyclical personally, unlike most other popes who has cardinals present it.[3] The presentation was attended by AI experts, including Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah.[3]

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV always said that the rise of artificial intelligence and crisis of human dignity and of multilateralism were major concerns. The encyclical was timed to connect with Pope Leo XIII's Rerum novarum encyclical of 1891 about industrialisation. It was released on the 135th anniversary of Leo XIII's encyclical.[4]

The encyclical also criticizes the use of AI in warfare, saying that removing human control of weaponry makes it harder to justify a war.[3] Leo wrote that "The 'just war' theory which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated."[5] The encyclical also criticizes deepfakes in politics.[3] Leo wrote in Magnifica Humanitas that technology is never neutral, arguing that humanity faces a choice between "constructing Babel and rebuilding Jerusalem".[6][7] The encyclical also has apologies for the Catholic Church's role in slavery.[3][8]

Pope Leo also quoted J. R. R. Tolkien from his The Lord of the Rings Part III: The Return of the King (Book V). He quoted the part "We can all do our part".[3][8]

Magnifica Humanitas was well received by the press with many believing it will define Pope Leo's papacy.[9][7]

The encyclical was the first to be published without an official Latin version.[10]

References

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  1. ↑ "Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical Magnifica humanitas to be published May 25". Vatican News. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Information for journalists". Holy See Press Office. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maqbool, Aleem; Wyatt, Catherine (25 May 2026). "Pope Leo says AI must be 'disarmed' in first major teaching". BBC. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  4. ↑ Pope Leo XIV (25 May 2026). "Magnifica humanitas".
  5. ↑ McElwee, Joshua (25 May 2026). "Pope, urging AI regulation, warns some weapons now beyond human control". Reuters.
  6. ↑ Brockhaus, Hannah (2026-05-25). "'Magnifica Humanitas': Pope Leo Invokes Justice to Combat 'Anti-Human Vision' in AI". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  7. 1 2 Schechner, Sam; Stancati, Margherita (2026-05-25). "Pope Leo Compares AI Threat to Biblical 'Tower of Babel'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  8. 1 2 "Pope Leo apologises for Church's historic role in slavery". Reuters. May 25, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ Streitfeld, David (2026-05-25). "As A.I. Fever Rises in Silicon Valley, Pope Leo Has a Few Words". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  10. ↑ "The first encyclical without a Latin version reveals a profound transformation in the Vatican", Infovaticana, 26 May 2026
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