“We are called to ask ourselves about the great task of our age: What are we building?” (Magnifica Humanitas no. 90).
Concrete Proposals for the Protection of All
Pope Leo XIV’s profound reflection culminates in both a call to discernment and a series of proposals: “New technologies must be evaluated in light of a decisive question: do they truly help persons and peoples grow in humanity and fraternity, with respect for our common home and future generations?” (MH no. 85).
Reflecting on contemporary threats, the Pope even speaks of “a slowing down in the adoption of AI” and proposes that artificial intelligence be “disarmed,” that is, freed from the logic of domination, war, exclusion, and absolute profit: “To disarm AI is to remove it from the logic of armed competition, which today is no longer only military but also economic and cognitive” (MH no. 106).
Drawing heavily upon Catholic Social Doctrine, the Pope calls upon governments, international institutions, businesses, and citizens to collaborate in establishing ethical norms capable of guiding the development of artificial intelligence. Moral responsibility can never be delegated to machines; it always remains the responsibility of persons and human communities.
Using the biblical image of the Tower of Babel, Pope Leo presents humanity with a choice: either build a society founded upon technological pride and self-sufficiency, or construct a civilization based on truth, justice, solidarity, and openness to God.
Leo XIV does not regard artificial intelligence as a threatening inevitability but as an area in which humanity must exercise freedom and responsibility. The true challenge is not the power of machines but the capacity of men and women to remain faithful to their vocation. He therefore invites all believers and people of good will to work together so that technological development serves human dignity and contributes to building a true “civilization of love.”
The Great Call to a Civilization of Love in the Digital Age
The idea of a “civilization of love” originated with Pope Saint Paul VI. In the context of the Cold War (1947-1991) the arms race, and economic imbalances, his vision centered on a social order grounded in justice and love as organizing principles of economic, political, and cultural life. The realities of today are not so different.
Leo XIV renews this same appeal in the face of the many threats confronting humanity within our technologically advanced civilization. What force can revitalize human relationships if not the pursuit of a common good that unites rather than divides? Here again, the principle of the common good, so central to Catholic Social Doctrine, can contribute to safeguarding humanity: “The civilization of love is not a naïve utopia but a demanding project. It consists in translating charity into structures of justice, giving institutional form to fraternity, and considering the other—whether a person or a people—as a necessary ally in building the common good” (MH no. 186).
In short, Leo XIV proposes an alternative path rooted in the Christian vision of the human person and of the world—our common home—as a way out of the dead ends facing contemporary humanity.
The Task of Our Age and the Song of Hope
This first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, stands out as one of the major texts of the beginning of his pontificate. Just as Rerum Novarum responded to the Industrial Revolution, this encyclical offers a Christian reflection on the digital revolution and artificial intelligence. Its essential message is clear: technology must always remain at the service of the human person, social justice, peace, and the common good. Amid the rapid transformations of our age, the Pope reminds us that humanity’s greatness does not lie in the power of its machines but in its capacity to love, to seek truth, and to recognize in every person a dignity that nothing can replace.
As a conclusion, Leo XIV leaves us not so much with a final answer as with a song of hope and an open task for our age: “Our work of building today must have as its foundation our relationship with God, as its rule the acceptance of human limits as something natural and positive, and as its style co-responsibility and the language of the Gospel” (MH no. 236).
Personally, I find that this first social encyclical of Leo XIV is fundamentally an attempt to answer one central question that runs throughout the text: “We are called to ask ourselves about the great task of our age: What are we building?” (MH no. 90).
Let us wrap up with the beautiful Marian note of the Magnificat, which shines with hope and reminds us that nothing is impossible for God. Leo XIV draws our attention to Mary’s positive and hope-filled vision of her people’s situation under Roman domination. Although nothing had changed around her, everything had changed within her, enabling her to see the invisible: “He has already shown the strength of His arm; He has already scattered the proud, cast down the mighty, lifted up the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty-handed” (MH no. 243).
Such is the hope that is “the assurance of things to come,” anticipated by faith.
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